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Unitary Development Plan Draft Issues Report

Environmental Services Directorate Town Planning Department Thurrock Unitary Development Plan Draft Issues Report For Pre-Deposit Consultation

Introduction1.Background2.Summary of the Proposed Strategy3.Housing Provision4.Green Belt5.Conservation6.The Economy and Employment7.Retailing and Town Centres8.Leisure, Recreation and Tourism9.Transportation10.Mineral11.Wastes12.Energy Generation13.Environmental Appraisal of Policies and Proposals14.Next Steps15.Appendices 16.

Appendix 1Appendix 2Appendix 3Appendix 4Appendix 5

Introduction1.

What is a Unitary Development Plan?

1.1 A unitary development plan, commonly referred to as a UDP, is a document which combines all the land use policies and proposals of a unitary planning authority into one single plan. This makes it easier for anyone to find out what developments are proposed in a unitary borough - and what the council's planning strategy and policies for regulating development are - than was the case under the two-tier planning system. With the two-tier system of local government, which applied to Thurrock before 1st April 1998, the county council and the borough council between them produced a number of different land use plans for different purposes. Together, these constituted the development plan for Thurrock, it often being necessary to refer to all of them in order to understand the plan.

1.2 The unitary planning system also makes it easier for the Borough Council to co-ordinate all its functions and services that are affected by, or will have an influence on, the development of land or the social and economic development of the Borough. However, a unitary development plan is not, as is sometimes mistakenly believed, a plan which combines all the Council's service plans into one document. Services such as education, leisure and social services will still need to have their own separate strategies or service plans prepared by the Council but any land use requirements arising from those plans, for example, the need for a new school or leisure facility, will also be incorporated into the UDP. The level of new housebuilding proposed in the UDP, and the likely change in population this will produce, will, in turn, affect the need for those other services.

1.3 The UDP will now also need to be closely linked to the preparation of a Local Transport Plan, which will interpret central government policies on integrated transport into specific transportation proposals for the borough. Many of those proposals will fall outside the scope of the UDP but there will be large areas of overlap between the two plans, for example, any proposals for major new road building will need to be set out in both.

1.4 Further details of what constitutes a UDP, its contents, format and duration, are set out in section 2 of this report.

Why do we need a UDP?

1.5 Having become a unitary authority on 1st April 1998, Thurrock Council has been given the responsibility for preparing a UDP for Thurrock as soon as possible, some of the benefits of this being outlined in 1.1 to 1.3 above. The current development plan is due to expire in 2001, so now is an appropriate time to start planning for the development of the Borough during the first decades of the next millennium.

1.6 The process of preparing and adopting a UDP is likely to take up to three years to complete, so, by starting now, the Council hopes to have the new plan in place in time to take over from the old by the end of 2001. Otherwise, proposals for development after 2001 would have to be assessed against an out-of-date plan. The proposed timetable for preparation and adoption of the UDP is set out in Appendix 1 at the end of this report.

Purpose of the Issues Report

1.7 This Issues Report is the first stage in the process of preparing the UDP. Its purpose is to highlight the different aspects of key planning topics that need to be considered together in order to help determine what the strategy for future development of Thurrock should be, i.e. how much new development ought to be accommodated in the Borough, what type of development, where it should be located and what related issues it will raise.

1.8 The Report considers the preparation of a UDP for Thurrock in the context of the relevant Town and Country Planning legislation and the broad strategic framework of Government policy guidance, including the emerging new regional planning guidance. It highlights the key issues in each of the relevant topic areas and the main factors for consideration, looks at other related issues, identifies the need for policy change or new policy generation and sets out a framework for appraising the environmental effects of different strategic options.

Pre-deposit consultation

1.9 In order to comply with the statutory regulations regarding pre-deposit consultation, the report summarises the Council's approach to each issue and its proposals for inclusion in the UDP. However, the Council also wishes to hear the views of consultees and the general public on these and any other relevant issues before moving on to the next stage of preparing the

UDP for deposit. All comments received during this consultation stage will be considered by the Council when drawing up a more detailed plan that will be published and placed on deposit later in the year, when formal representations will be invited. The Council considers it important that your views should be taken into account, so please fill out a questionnaire and send any comments you may have, by the 25th June 1999, to:

Head of Town PlanningThurrock Borough CouncilCivic OfficesNew RoadGraysEssexRM17 6SLFax: 01375 652787

Background2.

The development plan

2.1 The Town and Country Planning Act requires local planning authorities to prepare a development plan for their area in order to provide a framework for planning decisions, to help people plan the use of their land, and to help local councils interpret the public interest in the use of land in an appropriate and consistent manner. The current development plan for Thurrock consists of the following adopted plans:

Essex Structure Plan (including First and Second Alterations);◦Thurrock Borough Local Plan; and◦Essex Minerals Local Plan (First Review).◦

The Essex Waste Plan had not been placed on deposit by 1st April 1998 and will not apply to Thurrock even when it is adopted. However, Thurrock Council adopted the policies of the draft Waste Plan as an interim measure until the Thurrock UDP is prepared.

2.2 Collectively, these plans set out land use proposals and planning policies for guiding the development of the Borough up to the year 2001 (2004 for minerals). For the ensuing plan period, all the land-use planning aspects covered by these plans will need to be combined into a single Unitary Development Plan for Thurrock, to be prepared by the Borough Council.

Contents of the UDP

2.3 Fundamental to the UDP will be its overall land-use strategy - its aims, objectives and general policies - which will act as a framework on which to base the Council's more detailed proposals and development control policies. The Town and Country Planning Act sets out the basic format of a UDP, requiring the broad development and land-use strategy to be set out in a written statement as Part I of the plan with the detailed proposals comprising Part II, accompanied by a proposals map.

2.4 Government planning policy guidance issued by the Department of the Environment (PPG12) makes it clear that the UDP should not include non land-use policies, although relevant considerations may be referred to. This means that issues such as social services and other community service provision, including education, leisure and cultural activities, and environmental issues such as Local Agenda 21 initiatives, ought not themselves to be the subject of proposals in the UDP. They should be brought forward through their own departmental strategies or service plans, although their corporate aims may be reflected in relevant planning policies and their spatial and building implications, in terms of land-use allocations and planning policy criteria, can properly be set out in the UDP. Such strategies and the related proposals in the UDP will need to be fully co-ordinated within the Council.

2.5 PPG12 also indicates that Part I of the UDP should address the following list of key strategic topics, where applicable:

Housing, including figures for new housing provision;a.Green belts and conservation of the natural and built environment;b.The rural economy;c.The urban economy, including major industrial, business, retail and other employment and wealth-creating development;

d.

Strategic transport and highway facilities, and other infrastructure requirements;e.Mineral working (including disposal of mineral waste), and protection of mineral resources;f.Waste treatment and disposal, land reclamation and re-use;g.Tourism, leisure and recreation; andh.Energy generation, including renewable energy.i.

2.6 Because of the wider public interest in land-use issues and considerations which may extend beyond the Borough or to other, related aspects of development, town planning legislation also requires the Council, in drawing up the UDP, to have regard to:

any regional or strategic guidance given by the Secretary of State;◦current national policies;◦the resources likely to be available;◦social, economic and environmental considerations; and◦any waste disposal plans for the area.◦

and requires the UDP to include policies in respect of:

the conservation of the natural beauty and amenity of the land;◦the improvement of the physical environment; and◦the management of traffic.◦

Duration of the plan

2.7 Planning policy guidance in PPG12 specifies that the period to be covered by the general strategic policies in Part I of a UDP should be for at least 15 years ahead, while the more detailed policies and proposals in Part II should cover about 10 years from the plan's base date. Local planning authorities should satisfy themselves that longer term policies, such as conservation policies and Green Belt boundaries, will need to remain relevant even further ahead. It is also considered sensible to adopt an end date to coincide with the latest household projections.

2.8 It would seem appropriate, therefore, that Part II of the Thurrock UDP should cover the period up to 2011, while Part I should provide strategic guidance up to 2016 for most topics and beyond for certain long term issues. The base date of the plan should ideally be the date of the most recently available land-use survey information from which development levels will be proposed and monitored. This should be 1998 for the deposit UDP, as the survey information for that year is now available. Appropriate adjustments will need to be made, to take account of completed developments, when comparing development levels proposed in the UDP with other strategies and plans having different base dates.

Sustainable development

2.9 Foremost among the planning principles set out in current national policy guidance (PPG1) is the need for development plans to embrace a sustainable development approach. Sustainable development is stated to be that which seeks to deliver the objective of achieving, now and in the future, economic development to secure higher living standards while protecting and enhancing the environment. Key aspects of this approach will be the establishment of a land-use pattern, which reduces the need for motorised travel (especially by private car), safeguards natural resources and helps to reduce air pollution.

2.10 The encouragement of alternative modes of transportation is thus an important objective for any strategy seeking to promote sustainable development. Urban regeneration and re-use of previously developed land are cited as important supporting objectives for creating a more sustainable pattern of development that will help to reduce the need for travel. The Government wants at least 60% of all new development to make use of previously developed or "brownfield" land, through the process of urban regeneration.

Urban regeneration

2.11 Thurrock Council, with the support of Essex County Council, has been pursuing land reclamation and regeneration objectives since the mid-1970s, following a period of economic recession that left substantial areas of land in the Borough derelict and disused. Regeneration was triggered by the construction of the M25 in the mid-1980s. The result can be seen in the form of a number of major new developments over the last decade which have brought economic and environmental benefits to the area, including commercial, retail and leisure uses at Lakeside and housing at Chafford Hundred. Those areas have not yet been completely redeveloped and a significant area of derelict or disused land still remains to be reclaimed and re-used in the Borough as a whole, most of which is already allocated for development in the current development plan.

2.12 There is also considerable potential for alternative development of land in existing use, especially where the present use is likely to become uneconomic during the period covered by the plan or is environmentally unsatisfactory. The latter will mainly apply to sites in secondary industrial or commercial use or oil storage depots, often identified as "bad neighbour" activities within or close to residential areas. The Borough's housing stock is largely in good or satisfactory condition and there are no identifiable areas where large scale housing renewal would appear to be essential in the next ten to twenty years. However, some housing replacement schemes may well come forward in the next decade, which could result in more intensive use of the land.

2.13 Together, these areas amount to a significant reserve of previously used "brownfield" land which can be re-used to provide for the development needs of the Borough for the foreseeable future, and its share of the current regional requirement, without necessitating the use of greenfield land. In Thurrock's case, using greenfield land would effectively mean removing land from the protection of Green Belt policy. It may not prove possible to identify all the potential development land in Part II of the UDP, although the majority can be allocated, and an allowance can be made for urban intensification that may reasonably be expected to arise.

The Regional planning context

2.14 Regional planning guidance for the South East, issued by the Department of the Environment, is set out in RPG9, with sub-regional guidance for the Thames Gateway in RPG9A and for the River Thames in RPG9B. The current RPG9, issued in 1994, identifies specific areas, including those parts of Essex in need of regeneration (such as areas of Thurrock), where new development should be encouraged.

2.15 The main opportunities identified for growth through regeneration are in the East Thames Corridor (now Thames Gateway), in which Thurrock is partly situated, and where economic growth will help redress the east-west imbalance that has arisen within the region. Areas to the west of London have experienced significant economic growth in the last fifteen years, which has attracted other development and generated pressure on greenfield land and the environment. At the same time, large areas on the east side of London have been left derelict and under-used following the widespread closure of traditional manufacturing and service industries. Major opportunities exist for inward investment to generate economic prosperity and new employment in the Thames Gateway area, while securing improvements to the environmental quality and transport infrastructure.

2.16 Regional planning guidance establishes the level of housebuilding for which provision should be made in each county in the region. This provision is then distributed to the local level through county structure plans and the unitary development plans of London boroughs and metropolitan areas. The population of London has decreased steadily since 1947 due to migration into the surrounding region. A large number of households have moved into Essex, including Thurrock, a trend that has continued to date (although Thurrock has experienced net out-migration of population during the 1980s and 1990s).

2.17 The current RPG9 only covers the period up to 2006. It sets out a requirement for the annual provision of 5,333 dwellings in Essex to meet the demand for household growth. The rate of household growth is forecast, on the basis of recent trends, to increase to a significantly greater extent than the rate of population growth, due to the formation of smaller households. RPG9 also sets out related regional aims for the various environmental and land use issues, including the urban environment, countryside, Green Belt, estuaries, minerals and waste management.

2.18 The Government has since published more recent forecasts, based on the 1992 mid-year population estimates, which indicate an even higher level of household growth and would require the provision of some 4.4 million additional dwellings nation-wide by 2016, if the demand for new housing is to be fully met. This would generate the need for 1,103,000 dwellings in the rest of the South East (ROSE), excluding London, and for 629,000 in London, between 1991 and 2016 if the traditional 'predict and provide' method of calculating housing provision was used.

2.19 Of this projected growth, 75% is in single-person households, who are expected to form 35% of all households by 2016. However, the Government has now indicated that, while the 1992-based projection is a factor to be taken into account in determining the level of housing provision, it should not be viewed as a policy-based forecast of housing need and that a strategy of 'plan, monitor and manage' could be adopted in relation to the projection.

New SERPLAN Regional Strategy

2.20 The Secretary of State has invited strategic planning authorities in the South East, through their umbrella organisation SERPLAN, to produce new strategic planning guidance for the region up to 2016 to form the basis of a replacement RPG9. Following public consultation on a draft document undertaken by SERPLAN in mid-1998, and subsequent revision to its proposals, a Sustainable Development Strategy for the South East (SERP 500) was submitted to the Secretary of State in December 1998. This identifies the need to produce a more sustainable pattern of development, movement, and economic activity than that which has resulted from the decentralising strategy of recent decades. SERPLAN's vision is for the promotion of 'urban renaissance', for a prosperous and multi-purpose countryside and for a shift in transport policy to improve accessibility and reduce the need to travel, especially by motor car. The new core strategy is underpinned by a number of sustainability objectives, to be achieved through the implementation of over fifty strategic policies under six main planning themes.

2.21 The strategy seeks to promote economic success, especially through regeneration of 'Priority Areas for Economic Regeneration' of which the Thames Gateway is a major area. SERPLAN proposes an extension of the Thames Gateway to include Southend, Castle Point and parts of Basildon. This could result in some additional areas in the east of Thurrock being covered by a revised RPG9A. The emphasis in these areas is on economic growth and the re-balancing of employment opportunities, the primary aim thus being job creation, not in-migration of population. While some housing provision will be needed to meet locally-generated needs, additional housing not balanced by further economic growth would be counter-productive in terms of the sustainable development objective.

2.22 The strategy also identifies 'Areas of Economic Pressure' on the western edge of London and in the south western part of ROSE where factors such as environmental quality and possible labour shortages have become important issues. A fundamental aspect of the sustainable development strategy is to achieve a better spatial balance between labour supply and labour demand, in order to avoid fuelling the demand for longer distance commuting. This means that, while the dynamism of the regional economy must be maintained, some additional housing will be required in areas of economic pressure and great care must be taken not to encourage development that would be unsustainable through generating too many extra jobs there.

2.23 The Government treated the submitted SERPLAN document SERP 500 as being on Deposit and invited public representations to be made on it by February 1999. A Public Examination into the strategy will be held, starting in May 1999 and the Government have indicated their intention to publish revised regional planning guidance by the end of the year. A final decision regarding the regional strategy, and, in particular, the county and unitary distribution of housing provision to be made, is thus unlikely to be published before the Thurrock UDP progresses to the next stage in the planning process. It will be necessary, as an interim measure, to base the UDP strategy, and the fundamental issue of housing provision, on existing regional guidance and the Deposit Regional Strategy prepared by SERPLAN. Any changes required by the revised RPG9 will need to be taken into account at a later date.

Regional Housing Provision

2.24 The draft SERPLAN strategy identified various housing provision options indicating how the South East region's share of the national housing requirement could be met. Having regard to its regional housing capability study and the constraints on development in the South East, SERPLAN has concluded that not all the requirement for single person dwellings can be or needs to be met. SERPLAN thus proposes that provision should be made for substantially less than the Government's projected number of households in the ROSE area, while London should seek to make its own realistic housing provision to meet a projected requirement for some 629,000 dwellings by 2016. At the same time, however, SERPLAN has recognised the danger that, notwithstanding his statement regarding interpretation of the 1992-based household projection, the Secretary of State might not accept a regional strategy in which the housing provision undershoots the Government's projection by too great an extent.

2.25 Housing provision options for ROSE for the period 1991 to 2016 were set out in the draft strategy, ranging from an 'achievable supply' of 799,300 to an upper level of 914,000 dwellings. These housing options would involve the provision of between 109,200 and 111,900 dwellings in the Essex area (including Thurrock) between 1991 and 2016, with the implication that more may need to be found later under a monitoring and review process proposed as part of the strategy. This process would determine where and in what form any identified shortfall should be made up.

2.26 Following public consultation on the draft document, the housing provision table in the submitted Deposit strategy indicates a total for ROSE between 1991 and 2016 of 861,700 dwellings. The level proposed for the 'Essex County Area', including Thurrock, is 111,900. LPAC has indicated that the provision for London is likely to be below the Government's projected requirement of 629,000 to a level of between 550,000 and 600,000 for the period 1991-2016. This is subject to a 1996-based review of the household growth projection for London, due in 1999.

2.27 The overall position in the South East, therefore, is that the regional housing provision now being proposed is between 270,000 and 320,000 dwellings short of the Government's projected requirement. SERPLAN has further considered various options for making up any actual shortfall that emerges, but has concluded that the approach to be taken should be one of 'plan, monitor and manage', which needs to be developed further, with particular emphasis on the 'manage' element. A table showing how this approach should be implemented is set out in the Deposit Regional Guidance document SERP 500.

The Thames Gateway

2.28 The Thames Gateway Planning Framework, RPG9A, embodies the Government's vision for the future of the area stretching from Docklands in London to just east of Tilbury on the north side of the Thames and to the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. The objectives for the area are aimed primarily at economic regeneration, also seeking to encourage a sustainable pattern of development, making the best use of existing infrastructure and vacant or under-used land while safeguarding and enhancing the environment. The strategy for the Thames Gateway is to encourage development at suitable locations throughout the area, with two main centres being identified at The Royals and Stratford in East London and at Kent Thames-side.

2.29 Parts of Thurrock south of the A13 are included in the Thames Gateway and are referred to in RPG9A as Essex Thames-side. The sub-regional guidance recognises that much of the redevelopment potential in Thurrock is already being taken up, with the completion of existing commitments being identified as a priority. The strategy seeks to promote further regeneration of the many remaining sites, especially the chalk quarries west of the M25, for commercial development and for new homes. The guidance makes it clear that Green Belt boundaries are not to be adjusted in order to accommodate such development.

2.30 The strategy recognises the importance of retaining suitable Thames waterfront locations for certain industrial and port activities. The economic significance of port-related development at Tilbury and possibly at West Thurrock Power Station site is highlighted, together with the potential to open up the River Thames for tourism and recreation. The need to pay attention to cross-river views of new development is also highlighted, however, as is the need for new development generally to make a positive contribution to the visual quality of the area. The Thames Gateway Planning Framework sets out a new Environmental Standard, to which all development should aspire, as part of its overall strategy for upgrading the area's image and environment.

Summary Of The Proposed Strategy3.

Strategic Aims

3.1 Having regard to the background set out in the preceding chapter and to the strategic and other planning considerations relating to key land use issues set out in this report, the Council has concluded that the following strategic aims should be pursued in the UDP for Thurrock:-

to promote of a sustainable pattern of accessible development in the Borough through appropriate land-use allocations, including mixed-uses in suitable locations, in order to reduce the need for travel and to thereby reduce pollution and the un-necessary loss of natural resources;

◦

to make provision for a net dwelling stock increase of 7,600 dwellings between 1998 and 2016, to meet locally generated housing need, primarily within existing urban areas and on "brownfield" land, initiating urban regeneration programmes at Purfleet, West Thurrock and South Stifford/Grays West. Make further provision for housing only if balanced by improvements in economic performance and job creation, using the "plan, monitor and manage" approach;

◦

to retain and protect the Green Belt substantially as existing, only considering the need to safeguard any areas for long-term development as a contingency if new regional guidance makes this necessary and the supply of urban land becomes exhausted;

◦

to make provision for about 250 hectares of land to be developed for business, industry and commercial development between 1998 and 2016, with greater emphasis than hitherto on business development in order to stimulate the local economy, but reducing the amount of land for oil storage. Direct more employment opportunities towards the east of the Borough by encouraging appropriate redevelopment of the Shellhaven oil refinery site. Make provision for river-related uses and for new forms of energy generation;

◦

to continue strong support for conservation of the natural and built environment, including the preservation of wildlife and natural resources and the enhancement of environmental quality. Develop a character-based approach to the identification of landscape conservation and improvement policy;

◦

To retain the existing hierarchy of town centres with Lakeside identified as a sub-regional shopping centre, opposing further out of town retail developments, subject to a sequential test approach, and promoting the enhancement of existing town centres to improve the range of shops and related facilities accessible to local people;

◦

To develop the current balanced transport strategy into a fully integrated transport approach, reflecting the objectives of the Local Transport Plan, with even greater emphasis on the encouragement and integration of public transport and other alternatives to the private motor car, and on traffic management measures, to support sustainable development objectives. Continue to encourage movement of freight by other than road transport and make further provision for port development where appropriate;

◦

To secure the provision of adequate infrastructure, including community facilities and especially educational provision, in relation to developments which generate the need, and to oppose development where adequate social and physical infrastructure is not available and cannot be provided;

◦

To encourage the provision of facilities for tourism, sport and leisure, including commercial leisure developments, with a flexible approach to such provision in appropriate locations, and to ensure an adequate supply of land for sport and recreation, whether in public or private ownership;

◦

To ensure a continuing supply of minerals, including aggregates, by identifying reserves for future extraction and by safeguarding riverside sites, in appropriate locations, for the importation of crushed rock and sea-dredged aggregates;

◦

To move towards self-sufficiency in waste disposal by reducing the long term need for landfill of untreated waste, making provision for the development of waste recycling and waste treatment facilities but opposing incineration. Seek to reduce levels of imported waste, especially from London, and continue to oppose land raising in the Borough.

◦

Approach to UDP preparation

3.2 In view of the relatively recent adoption of Local Plans for the Borough and the current review of strategic planning policies and regional guidance, the Council considers that its approach to the preparation of a UDP for Thurrock should be based upon the principles of:-

carrying forward from the existing development plan and emerging plans as many policies and proposals as are still considered relevant;

1.

updating policies where necessary to comply with current planning policy guidance and incorporating new policies where appropriate;

2.

continuing and strengthening the process of urban regeneration, economic growth and borough-wide environmental improvement promoted in existing plans; and

3.

pursuing the key strategic aims set out above.4.

3.3 The key issues and the strategic and other considerations on which the above strategy is based are set out in the following chapters.

Housing4.

Key Issue 1:

The need to make appropriate provision for new dwellings in Thurrock to meet locally generated need between 1998 and 2016.

Planning Policy Guidance

4.1 In the context of the UDP, 'housing provision' means the indication, in the strategic Part I of the plan, of the total number of new dwellings for which sites should be provided over the period covered by the plan (i.e. made available for housebuilding through the grant of planning permission). Land should be allocated in the more detailed Part II of the plan for as many of these dwelling sites as it is possible to identify, together with an indication of any other means by which the provision set out in Part I may be made up. It is a requirement of the Government's planning policy guidance, set out in PPG3, that local planning authorities should aim to ensure the realistic availability of five years supply of housing land, judged against the provision made in the development plan. Planning authorities and housebuilders are urged to continue co-operating over the production of joint studies for assessing the availability of housing land.

4.2 Regional housing provision and the distribution to county level is determined by the Secretary of State through the regional planning guidance for the South East. Under the former two-tier planning structure applicable to pre-unitary Thurrock, the distribution of housing provision within the county was determined by Essex County Council in the Structure Plan. This took account of the availability of suitable housing land in the Borough and any representations in that regard made by Thurrock Council during the plan's preparation. It is now the responsibility of Thurrock Council, as a unitary planning authority, to make appropriate housing provision in its UDP, in accordance with the regional planning guidance for the South East (see 2.24-2.27).

The current development plan

4.3 The current provision for housing development in Thurrock, derived from the Essex Structure Plan, is for 9,900 dwellings (net) between 1986 and 2001. The Thurrock Borough Local Plan identifies a supply of housing land for 13,127 dwellings over the same period - a surplus of 3,227 dwelling sites over the Structure Plan provision. This surplus, coupled with a lower than expected rate of house-building in the Borough in the 1990s and some additional planning permissions granted, means that there will be sufficient committed housing land in Thurrock to last until 2005 at recent completion rates.

4.4 The Essex Structure Plan is in the process of replacement, the draft having been placed on deposit in March 1998. The deposit plan made a total provision for Essex of 78,600 dwellings, including 9,000 for Thurrock, up to the year 2011 but the replacement plan will not now have any statutory effect on unitary Thurrock. However, Thurrock Council has been involved in preparation of the new structure plan by way of liaison over the technical work undertaken in relation to the county development strategy. Much of the data produced by that exercise is available to Thurrock Borough Council to inform and support the preparation of the Thurrock UDP.

UDP Considerations

Housing Provision

4.5 In the context of the emerging regional and sub-regional strategy outlined in section 2, it would be appropriate for future levels of housing provision in Thurrock to be aimed primarily at meeting the locally-generated need for new homes, rather than continuing to provide for in-migration. This approach will be necessary in order to help secure important regional objectives, such as the pursuit of a sustainable balance between labour supply and demand in any given area and the economic regeneration of the Thames Gateway. Coupled with the retention of a strong inner Green Belt boundary (see 5.8), it will also assist in promoting "urban renaissance", especially in London but also in other towns and cities, by directing housing development there. At the same time, in the local context, it will help to minimise the risk that Thurrock's environmental capacity to accommodate new development will be exceeded, while concentrating on meeting the housing needs of local people.

4.6 The survey, forecasting and analysis work undertaken in connection with the Essex Replacement Structure Plan has indicated that a net increase in dwelling stock of some 9,000 units will need to be provided in Thurrock between 1996 and 2011 in order to meet the Borough's locally-generated housing need. Thurrock Council agreed this level of provision when consulted on the plan and it is a suitable and robust starting point on which to base the UDP provision. Adjusting to the UDP base date of 1998, allowance must be made for the 1,772 housing completions in the Borough since 1996. In addition, Thurrock Council has identified the capacity to accommodate a further 375 dwellings in the Borough as an equitable contribution towards

meeting the balance of the "Essex County Area" provision in the SERPLAN strategy up to 2016 (see 2.25). This adds up to an overall housing provision, in round terms, of 7,600 dwellings for Thurrock between 1998 and 2016.

4.7 Some 4,400 of that provision could be met from existing commitments (sites with planning permission) and development plan allocations that remain unused. The balance of 3,200 can be found within existing urban areas, mainly on brownfield land and through urban intensification. The use of this amount of brownfield land would involve re-allocating some existing secondary industrial and commercial areas, and also some vacant primary industrial areas, for housing purposes. However, there are potential benefits to be achieved through urban regeneration and much needed environmental improvements in some localities, such as Purfleet and West Thurrock, as long as the lost employment potential is made up elsewhere in a sustainable manner (see 6.23).

4.8 A housing provision of 7,600 by 2016 would extend the supply of sites at an average building rate of 400 per annum, somewhat below the average of about 750 d.p.a. achieved over the past 10-12 years. The building rate could be expected to reduce progressively, and may need to be phased towards the end of the period, as the supply of housing land in the Borough reduces. If all sites are taken up and occupied at the normal rate, this level of housebuilding would increase the number of households in the Borough to some 63,000 and the total population to around 152,000 by 2016. The economically active population would increase to around 76,000.

Related Issues:Affordable housing; Special needs housing; Mobility Adaptable Housing; Gypsy site provision; Sites for Travelling Showpeople.

4.9 These issues are currently catered for by policies in the current Thurrock Borough Local Plan that can be carried forward into the UDP and suitably updated. The Council is undertaking a housing needs study to identify social and special housing needs more precisely, while there is new legislation that will need to be taken into account relating to the provision of mobility housing.

Other related issues:Provision of Community Facilities including Educational accommodation and community halls.

4.10 These issues are also covered by policies in the current Thurrock Borough Local Plan, although many of the specific requirements identified therein have now been provided so do not need to be carried forward. The need for additional facilities will undoubtedly arise in relation to the new housing developments being considered in this report. It needs to be made clearer that the policy for securing the provision of infrastructure from developers in relation to new development applies equally to educational and other community and social infrastructure as well as to roads and transportation facilities.

The Council's Proposals

4.11 The Council proposes that the level of housing provision in Thurrock between 1998 and 2016 in the UDP should be for 7,600 dwellings as this appears to be achievable in a sustainable way, primarily through urban regeneration. Furthermore, being based on a provision for the Borough that was placed on deposit in the Essex Replacement County Structure Plan, it is a relatively robust and defensible figure for Thurrock Council to adopt. To help meet this provision, urban regeneration projects should be initiated for parts of Purfleet, West Thurrock and South Stifford/Grays West, where significant areas of brownfield land are likely to become available.

4.12 It is recognised that this provision may fall some way short of meeting the Government's forecast requirement to 2016. The Secretary of State may determine that a higher level of provision is necessary in the revised regional planning guidance, when finally published. An additional contingency provision may, in any case, need to be identified as part of the 'plan, monitor and manage' approach proposed by SERPLAN.

4.13 This approach should also be used if take up of existing housing land results in less dwellings than are provided for, due to lower than anticipated housing densities on some sites. Further housebuilding may also be justified in the longer term if the Borough's economy performs well and enough jobs are created to meet the needs of a larger resident labour force, enabling further urban regeneration to be undertaken. It should otherwise be part of the UDP strategy to gradually reduce the rate of housebuilding in the Borough towards the end of the plan period, switching the emphasis from major development sites to urban renewal, as the need for extra housing appears likely to diminish in the longer term.

4.14 Policies affecting related issues should be reviewed and updated as indicated in 4.9 and 4.10 above. However, the Council considers that there is no need to make further provision for Gypsy caravan sites or Travelling Showpeoples sites in Thurrock.

Green Belt5.

Key Issue 2:

The need to maintain a strong Green Belt and only alter existing boundaries as a contingency measure.


5.1 Government guidance on Green Belts is set out in PPG2 (revised), issued in January 1995. Guidance for amending the extent of the Green Belt where detailed Green Belt boundaries have already been incorporated in the development plan is set out in PPG2 Paragraph 2. This states (inter alia):

"Once the general extent of a Green Belt has been approved it should be altered only in exceptional circumstances. If such an alteration is proposed, the Secretary of State will wish to be satisfied that the authority has considered opportunities for development within the urban areas contained by and beyond the Green Belt. Similarly, detailed Green Belt boundaries defined in adopted local plans or earlier approved development plans should be altered only exceptionally."

5.2 The need to safeguard land for long term development needs may constitute an exceptional circumstance justifying release of land from the Green Belt, normally by safeguarding land which may be released only if required. However, PPG2 also states:

"the essential characteristic of Green Belts is their permanence. Their protection must be maintained as far as can be seen ahead".

There is no indication at present that the Government is likely to reduce this level of support for Green Belts.

5.3 A major strategic issue, therefore, is the extent to which the Green Belt should be retained in Thurrock and whether there are any exceptional circumstances which would justify altering its boundaries. These would need to be demonstrated in order to satisfy the guidance set out in PPG2. Although it may be an option to consider amending boundaries to accommodate some of the 7,600 dwellings suggested as necessary in Chapter 4 on Housing, it seems unlikely, from the capacity study being carried out, that it will to prove essential to do so.

5.4 However, the level of new housing development which may be called for in revised regional planning guidance, expected by the end of 1999, could prove to be more than can be accommodated within existing urban areas across the region. It may thus be necessary to safeguard areas of Green Belt somewhere in the region for future release to meet the longer term need for housing land in the South East, although how and whereabouts this need should be met is still the subject of considerable debate. However, the emerging regional planning guidance indicates, as part of its core strategy, that the Green Belt will retain its key strategic role in defining the regional pattern of development and preventing urban coalescence.

The Current Development Plan

5.5 The boundary of Green Belt in Thurrock is defined in the existing development plan. This consists of the approved Essex Structure Plan, which indicates the general extent of the Green Belt, and the Thurrock Borough Local Plan, adopted September 1997, which defines the boundary in detail. Policies relating to the Green Belt and the development which may take place there are set out in both plans.

UDP considerations

5.6 Because of Thurrock's location on the edge of London, national Green Belt policy has had a profound effect on development within the Borough, by seeking to prevent urban sprawl and the coalescence of settlements. Successive development plans since the 1950s have established a Green Belt which now tightly surrounds most of the settlements in Thurrock and which has played a major part in shaping the development pattern and character of the Borough.

5.7 The Inspector, in his report on the public inquiry into the Thurrock Borough Local Plan, indicated the importance of retaining the Green Belt, especially in areas where it comprises narrow gaps and fragmentary areas. The Green Belt in Thurrock has thus been altered very little from the extent designated in the old-style development plan, its area, in fact, having been increased slightly in the Thurrock Borough Local Plan. With the exception of the extensively industrialised area in the south-west of the Borough, which has never been included in the Green Belt, opportunities for new development are currently constrained by Green Belt policy and limited to urban renewal within existing settlements or industrial areas.

5.8 Green Belt policy has been an important factor in the past in assisting urban regeneration and the recycling of derelict land in Thurrock and could continue to be so in the future. It is now particularly relevant in the sub-regional context of the Thames Gateway, where Thurrock's partner local authorities in east London are also seeking to promote major urban regeneration projects, including new housing schemes. The take-up of such projects may well be encouraged by the retention of a strong Metropolitan Green Belt and their success will be vital to the perception and promotion of the whole Thames Gateway area, including Thurrock, in attracting further inward investment and securing environmental improvements.

Related issue:Major developed sites in the Green Belt.

5.9 Planning Policy Guidance Note PPG2 introduced the policy of considering the redevelopment or infilling between existing buildings of major developed sites as appropriate development in the Green Belt. This approach was developed from an earlier Government policy of allowing the redevelopment of redundant hospital sites in the Green Belt.

5.10 Thurrock Council had not proposed to identify any major developed sites in the Thurrock Borough Local Plan as the PPG was issued after that plan had been on deposit and shortly before the public inquiry was held into objections to it. The Council did undertake to consider such designations as part of its next plan, when there had been an opportunity to carry out the necessary survey and research work. However, the inquiry Inspector saw fit to recommend that four sites be considered for designation and these were accepted by the Council.

5.11 The existing development plan thus identifies the South Ockendon and Orsett hospital sites and the Marley Works and Durox Works sites as Major Developed Sites in the Green Belt, where redevelopment of the same built footprint would be appropriate. The South Ockendon hospital site is also allocated for housing redevelopment, which is now almost complete. These designations should clearly be carried forward into the UDP.

5.12 The issue for the UDP is to determine which, if any, further sites should be designated as Major Developed Sites (MDS) in the Green Belt and what criteria, if any, should be used to determine which they should be. There is no guidance in PPG2 as to what constitutes a MDS, other than the examples quoted in the guidance, "such as factories, collieries, power stations, water and sewage treatment works, military establishments, civil airfields, hospitals and research and educational establishments." The list is thus not exhaustive and other forms of developed site may also qualify.

5.13 These are described as "substantial sites" in the guidance but no indication is given as to any minimum size requirement, extent of development or developed footprint, the examples quoted above varying considerably in these characteristics. The only guidance offered by the Thurrock Borough Local Plan Inspector was to indicate that he did not consider the former technical college site at Love Lane, Aveley, to qualify because most of it is not developed in any way. There are a number of other large educational establishments in Thurrock's Green Belt which also need to be considered.

5.14 The size of sites currently designated in the Local Plan ranges from just over 6 hectares to some 36 hectares in area, indicating a minimum size that might be an appropriate criteria for Thurrock. Further investigation of the approach taken by other Green Belt authorities, conducted by Harrogate Borough Council, has revealed a considerable variation in the criteria used. Most of the emerging size criteria have not yet been tested at public inquiries. The common ground seems to be that the amount of development on the site ought to be substantial in itself in order to qualify as a MDS.


5.15 The Council considers it appropriate to retain the Green Belt boundaries in Thurrock essentially as existing, in order to concentrate development energies on urban regeneration and 'renaissance' and thereby helping to solve some of the environmental and traffic problems that have arisen in the urban areas. Only if revised regional planning guidance requires more development land in Thurrock than can be provided through urban regeneration should a contingency provision of removing land from the Green Belt be contemplated, and this should be minimal.

5.16 The Council considers that a minimum site size of 5 hectares, excluding any land currently designated as open space, and with substantial built development should be the criteria for designating MDS in the Green Belt. On this basis, the Ardale School site, North Stifford, and Torrells School site, Grays should thus be designated MDS in addition to the four existing sites.

Conservation6.

Key Issue 3:

To continue support for conservation of the built and natural environment and develop a character-based approach to landscape protection and enhancement.


6.1 Over the years, Thurrock Council has developed a strong set of policies for the conservation of both the natural and built environment, as currently set out in the Thurrock Borough Local Plan. A balance nearly always has to be struck between the differing needs of development and conservation, sometimes leading to disputes over interpretation of policy. However, with the exception of those issues set out below, which do need to be addressed, no serious weaknesses are apparent with the broad thrust of conservation in Thurrock, which should thus continue along present lines, with detailed policies being brought up to date where necessary in the UDP.

UDP considerations

6.2 It should be a strategic objective of the UDP to seek to enhance the built and natural environment of the Borough. The former can be achieved to a large degree by ensuring that new development embraces the Thames Gateway New Environmental Standard. This means consistently adopting higher standards of development than may sometimes have been

applied in the past, in order to break the self-reinforcing cycle of environmental blight which poor quality development has generated in some areas.

6.3 The natural environment should be enhanced through the adoption of a more pro-active approach than was previously possible, incorporating, for example, policies for the interpretation and implementation of biodiversity action plans. Specific changes which may be needed to the current development plan approach to the issues of Trees & Woodland and Landscape & Nature Conservation are considered as follows.

Trees and Woodland

6.4 Trees are an important part of the environment. They provide structure and a sense of scale thereby contributing to the visual amenity of both urban and rural locations. Furthermore they improve the quality of the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide and in some cases filtering pollution. The presence of trees has been shown to have a positive effect on both mental and physical health.

6.5 Thurrock has a limited existing tree bank which includes street trees in urban areas, urban parks, woodlands and specimen trees including those of historic value in old parkland and those in private gardens. It is vital that this existing resource is protected for the benefit of present and future generations.

Tree Protection

6.6 Thurrock Council has a commitment to protecting existing trees and woodlands of value through the use of Tree Preservation Orders. However, to date this has been undertaken in a reactive way, protecting primarily those trees which are considered to be under threat.

6.7 In the Unitary Development Plan there will need to be a move towards protecting trees of value in a more systematic way starting with a review of the existing TPO'd trees and following with a survey of the Borough. Individual trees and woodlands should be considered for protection, taking into account location, local conditions, amenity historic and social value, contribution to landscape as identified in the Borough landscape character assessment and the need to provide suitable sites for new development. Following the systematic survey of the Borough, there will need to be a continuing rolling programme of review.

6.8 In general there should be a presumption against allowing the felling of protected trees unless there are sound reasons, for example a tree has become dangerous due to disease.

Trees and Development Sites

6.9 Trees are a valuable resource for future developments. In residential areas they can provide a sense of new properties being established and give an air of permanence. As elsewhere they can add to the quality of life for new residents/users and can give a "sense of place".

6.10 It should be expected that existing trees will be treated as an integral part of a new development. Developers will need to show that proper attention has been paid to including the trees within their final layout and be expected to demonstrate that the trees will be fully protected during the course of site clearance and construction. An outline arboricultural implications study and method statement should be provided at the outline planning stage, with more detailed implication study and full method statement provided at detailed planning application or reserved matters stage. The Council can provide Supplementary Planning Guidance to indicate the appropriate standards for both the arboricultural implications studies and method statements.

6.11 Where some loss of mature trees is unavoidable in terms of the best design and layout of the site, there should be an expectation that adequate replacement trees will be provided as part of the development. In addition to replacement of lost trees, there should be a further expectation that new developments will make provision for new tree planting to ensure the long-term maintenance of, and increase in, the overall tree stock. The Council can provide guidance for new planting in residential areas.

6.12 At the end of the development phase it will be appropriate for all trees to be protected with tree preservation orders.

Protection of Woodland

6.13 There are policies within the existing Borough Local Plan encouraging the management of private woodlands. This should be continued in the UDP. Woodlands require management in the interests of safety, conservation of nature and history, continuity, and public access where appropriate. Thurrock Council will continue to encourage the use of management agreements and grant schemes, and will also encourage the planting of new woodland areas.

Management of Council-owned Trees

6.14 In addition to protecting trees of importance in private ownership, Thurrock Council recognises the need to manage its own tree resource. Trees in streets, parks and woodlands all contribute to the character and sense of place of the Borough, but without proper management these will deteriorate over time, and ultimately be lost. Street trees help to add quality to an environment and make it a more attractive place to live, work and visit, whether in an urban setting as avenues, or in rural situations where trees and hedgerows form typical country lanes.

6.15 Based on the landscape character assessments, new tree planting will be undertaken to regenerate damaged landscapes and to ensure the continuity of areas where the tree stock vital to the character of an area is ageing. This will include the phased replacement of avenue trees in key urban areas, the provision of hedgerows in more rural situations and the general provision of street trees where these are considered to be a vital part of the former or present landscape character.

6.16 The proper and systematic management of street trees and roadside hedges is seen to be important if there is to be no conflict with adjacent uses. Roadside trees need to be managed to ensure the safe, free-flow of traffic, and in residential areas trees to avoid possible risk to properties.

6.17 In parks, trees are an important element of the character. In many parks the tree stock is ageing and has a limited safe life. In order to ensure the continuity of the character, both management of existing stock and phased replacement are seen to be essential.

6.18 As with private woodlands, those in Council ownership also need to be managed for safety, conservation, historic interest and public access. Where appropriate the Council will consider passing management of its woodlands across to appropriate bodies. Elsewhere management will be undertaken, wherever possible involving local people in both decision-making and implementation of works.

Green Corridors

6.19 The general landscape of Thurrock currently consists of pockets of dense vegetation linked by areas relatively devoid of natural greenery. The creation of Green Corridors along important routes to link the existing pockets of vegetation and to provide some integration and cohesiveness within the landscape should be an important element of the UDP. These corridors will also act as important habitat chains allowing the movement of wildlife. See also 6.36 below.

Trees in Private Ownership

6.20 Privately owned trees play a vital role in the overall tree-scape of the Borough. Within the UDP their identification as part of the landscape will need to be addressed as will their protection through the use of tree preservation orders. The planting of new trees on by landowners on private land, using appropriate species for location and situation, should be encouraged.

New Opportunities

6.21 Thurrock Council recognises that all new developments, regeneration and improvement works carried out by it provide a rare opportunity to improve or develop the landscape and tree-scape of the Borough. The Council will commit to interdisciplinary working to ensure that wherever possible these opportunities are exploited.

New Woodlands

6.22 In order to offset the loss of woodlands, hedgerows and general tree cover across the Borough due to land-use, Dutch elm disease and modern agricultural practices, encouragement should be given to landowners, wherever appropriate, for the creation of new woodlands. This may be related to development proposals or by informing landowners of grants which may be available. In particular, woodland creation will be an important element of landscape restoration required for minerals and waste sites.


6.23 The more pro-active approach to all aspects of tree and woodland preservation and enhancement, as set out above, should be incorporated into policies in the UDP.

Landscape and Nature Conservation

6.24 The landscape has a great impact on the "sense of place" of an area, and greatly affects the perceptions of residents, workers, visitors and passers-by as to the quality and desirability of a locality. A green environment, rich in trees and other vegetation, is also rich in wildlife and landscape patterns provide strong clues as to cultural history and development, much of which is intuitively recognised at a sub-conscious level. Landscape provides a strong link with our past.

6.25 Research has indicated that a green environment is beneficial to both mental and physical health and improves people's perception of their quality of life. The presence of trees and shrubs makes an environment attractive to visit and to live in. A poor quality environment will deter new residents from moving into an area and may adversely affect the decision of some "clean" industries to relocate into the area. Protection, enhancement and improvement of the landscape of Thurrock is therefore vital to the health of the Borough.

General Approach to Landscape Issues in Thurrock

6.26 In line with Central Government guidance there will need to be a move away from a hierarchical approach to landscape within the Borough. In the past landscapes have been classified in a way which appears to give a value, either good or poor, to a particular area. This gives no indication of the character, the principal features, the "sense of place" or the extent to which the landscape could absorb new development.

6.27 It is proposed that within the UDP there should be a change to a more descriptive method of classifying landscapes based on landscape character. Areas with similar features and characteristics can be classified together as generic landscape "types" and local variations in character recognised by division of the Borough into Landscape Character Areas.

6.28 Policies can then be formulated using both the area classification and an analysis of the strength of character and condition of the landscape to identify Thurrock Council's aims and objectives in terms of landscape protection, restoration, enhancement and creation as development and other opportunities arise.

6.29 The Landscape Character Assessment, together with other tools such as Visual Impact Assessment may also be used as a basis for deciding where and how development can be sensitively accommodated in the landscape. It is intended that supplementary planning guidance will be available in due course to give further detailed advice in terms of planting patterns, landform, species choice, etc.

New Developments - General

6.30 In all cases development should be expected to respect the landscape character of an area, with a presumption that landscape features will be retained with enhancement where appropriate.

6.31 In order to ensure that this is achieved, developers should be expected to provide a full landscape assessment of their site with any planning application, clearly demonstrating how the landscape character is to be protected, enhanced or restored. At this stage, and continuing through the design process, the developer would need to demonstrate that adequate land has been allowed for the implementation of structure and other landscaping and that this also takes account of space and clearances needed for the provision of services, soakaways, highway lighting etc. The methodology for ensuring the adequate protection throughout the construction period for all landscape features to be retained, including landscape elements providing prior to construction commencing, would be required for approval prior to consent being granted.

6.32 Throughout history, until the industrial revolution, social, cultural and minor industrial development took place within the natural landscape framework. Nature provided the setting for human activity, even though many areas were managed for human benefit. As development has progressed on a bigger scale much of the former landscape has been severely degraded, and in some cases destroyed. In general, development is more visually pleasing and more pleasant to live and work in, when it is integrated with the landscape, be that existing or created landscape. It is therefore seen as essential that landscape is treated as an integral part of any new development and treated as a primary consideration in the layout and design. Developers will need to show this at the earliest stages of their planning applications.

6.33 Structural landscape provision, including open space, street trees, landscape features, etc. need to be designed to enhance the landscape character of the area in which the site lies, and to help enhance, or create where appropriate, a "sense of place" for the development.

6.34 Consideration should be given in all new developments to the creative use of landscape to improve the wider environment. Vegetation within a development has far more wide-reaching effects than simply visual; it filters out pollution and thereby improves air quality, trees use carbon dioxide and can reduce the "greenhouse effect", shelter belts can dramatically reduce exposure to strong winds and create "sun traps" for open space, vegetation and landform can be used in a creative way for management of water, helping to reduce run-off, filter out certain pollutants and provide valuable wetland habitat, screening can provide a psychological barrier to traffic noise and other detrimental features.

Provision of Open Space

6.35 Open space is vital for providing relief from the built-up environment and as such is important in improving the perception of the quality of an area and plays a valuable part in encouraging good mental and physical health of residents.

6.36 Open space can have a number of different functions, for example it may provide facilities for outdoor sports, it may provide play space for children within a specific age range and include appropriate play equipment, it can make land available

for open air access for informal use, or it can be purely for visual amenity. In many cases open space will have more than one function.

6.37 The UDP should cover issues about providing adequate space for sports facilities and children's play, ensuring that residents of the Borough have reasonable access to these opportunities. There should be a commitment to ensure a "necklace" of open space throughout the Borough to ensure that all residents of built-up areas have access to green open space and there will be an added benefit that these linked spaces will also act as a wildlife corridor.

6.38 In terms of design, it is important to identify the form and function of any area of open space. The provision of space should be seen as part of the overall design of any development which should include considerations such as enclosure of space, creation of vistas, change in rhythm of urban form etc. The function of the open space will determine its space, shape, location, form, size and uses and treatment, i.e. whether it is predominantly hard or soft landscaping.

6.39 The use of hard and soft landscaping should be used to contribute to the sense of place for the whole development whilst ensuring that the space fulfils its function. The space should also have a clear character of its own, for example, urban park, village green, formal gardens, ecological park, London-type square, or informal kick-about area. Opportunities for habitat creation to increase the wildlife of the Borough should be an integral part of the design of all open space.

6.40 It is essential that the provision of open space is identified at the earliest stage of the design process and that the design makes allowance for access, safety, lighting where appropriate, and the control of dogs. Furthermore, the future maintenance also requires consideration from the start, in particular the level of maintenance required and whether the space will be passed to Thurrock Council for adoption together with the appropriate commuted sum.

Hard Landscape Provision

6.41 The choice of hard materials for use in any landscape scheme will have a strong impact on the character and public perception of a scheme. Materials should reflect those traditionally used locally and should respect and enhance the local character, to continue the sense of place of the locality. Poor quality materials undermine a design and quickly undermine local confidence in the value of an area and will not be acceptable.

Long-Term Management of Landscapes

6.42 The success of any landscape proposals are completely dependent on the quality of the long-term management. Many landscapes of extremely high quality have failed after implementation due to lack of adequate after-care, particularly during the vulnerable establishment phase immediately following implementation.

6.43 Before any landscape proposals are approved a detailed schedule showing maintenance for establishment and a ten year management programme will be required to ensure the on-going life of the approved scheme. This will be required whether or not the scheme is to be adopted by Thurrock Council.

Adoption of Landscaped Areas by Thurrock Council

6.44 In many cases following a residential development a developer has no further interest in the area once the properties have been sold. In the majority of cases Thurrock Council is asked to take over the management of these areas on a long-term basis following the payment of a commuted sum to cover the management costs.

6.45 In order to ensure that adequate provision is made for the on-going management of all areas it is essential that at the initial design stages those areas which will not be managed by the developer, or a private management company, are identified for consideration for adoption by this Authority. Areas for adoption should include all appropriate public open space and any street-side planting, for example avenue trees or hedges.

6.46 All adoptions will be subject to a section 106 agreement and a commuted sum will be paid. It is intended that a schedule of rates for the commuted sum payments will be devised by Thurrock Council to ensure that there is consistency for payments covering similar structural landscape features.

Landscape Restoration

6.47 Where the Borough Landscape Character Assessment identifies that the natural landscape has been lost or damaged, opportunities will be sought for its restoration. This will normally be through the development control process and will include such items as woodland planting, hedgerow replacement, landform restoration or improvement, the provision or restoration of water features and associated habitats and general habitat creation.

6.48 In many cases, the main opportunities for significant landscape improvement and restoration will be related to applications for mineral extraction or waste disposal, where these are otherwise acceptable in policy terms, since these tend to have wide land take and are, by their nature, destructive of the natural landscape. Landscape improvement and restoration opportunities will need to be linked with the Landscape Character Assessment for the area.

6.49 The Thames Chase Community Forest initiative gives great opportunities for landscape improvement and renewal which may not otherwise be available. In particular in the zone around South Ockendon and Aveley where there has over a long period of time been considerable landscape damage due to mineral extraction and waste disposal there is an opportunity to create new woodlands and public access on poorly restored sites. Every effort must be made to ensure that all such opportunities are explored and that, wherever possible, partnerships with relevant agencies and landowners are encouraged and facilitated to allow renewal to take place.

6.50 Landowners should be encouraged to undertake landscape restoration in other areas, through increasing awareness of the Landscape Character Assessment of the Borough and of any grant opportunities which may from time to time become available. Due to its commitment to improving the landscape and image of Thurrock, the Borough Council will explore opportunities to undertake its own renewal projects through landscape management and planting programmes.

Protection of the Natural Environment

6.51 The current Thurrock Borough Local Plan generally has good policies on nature conservation, and includes some of the earliest policies relating to this subject. On the whole, it is considered that the majority of these policies will be carried forward into the UDP. Despite the generally good policies, there have been a number of changes to central government guidance on the approach to nature conservation since the Borough Local Plan policies were written.

6.52 In particular there has been a move towards encouraging sustainable development, which has wider environmental protection implications than simply nature conservation. Nevertheless, it is vital that all new developments and all landscape proposals should meet the sustainability criteria set out to ensure that a healthy environment, and a rich wildlife heritage, is passed on to future generations.

Biodiversity

6.53 In addition to the sustainability issue, there has also been a recent emphasis on the need to ensure the long-term diversity of our wildlife heritage. All local authorities are required to produce a Biodiversity Action Plan which sets out key characteristic wildlife species for each area, plus species which are, or have become, rare within an area and set out an action plan for the protection, enhancement and extension of the related habitats. Recognition of this will be an important element within the UDP.

6.54 A rich and varied wildlife pool within an area is vital not only to sustaining a healthy environment for its own sake, but also to provide the human contact with nature which has been shown to improve mental well-being. In recognising this, Thurrock Council will seek to encourage a creative approach to including habitat creation, and other environmental improvements, in all developments. This will include such issues such as green engineering.

6.55 The Borough Local Plan identifies a number of "Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation". As part of the process of producing the UDP the opportunity for including new sites will need to be explored.


6.56 In line with central government guidance there should be a move towards more descriptive landscape classification within the Borough, looking principally at landscape character. A Landscape Character Assessment should form the basis of landscape policy which will seek the protection, enhancement and restoration of areas of the Borough and will also influence the location of new developments.

6.57 The nature conservation policies from the Borough Local Plan should be carried forward into the UDP, but in order to meet central government requirements there will need to be further emphasis on environmental protection through policies on sustainability, the development of a Biodiversity Action Plan and the need to seek creative means of both environmental protection and habitat creation.

The Economy And Employment Provision7.

Key Issue 4:

The need to broaden the narrow economic base and attract a wider range of economic development activities by ensuring an adequate supply of suitable land.


7.1 Government Guidance on provision of land for industrial and commercial development is set out in PPG4 - Industrial and Commercial Development and Small Firms, and PPG12 - Development Plans and Regional Planning Guidance. The guidance stresses that "planning authorities should have regard to the importance of encouraging industrial and commercial development if the national economy is to prosper" and states that a range of sites should be provided, with a reasonable expectation of development proceeding.

7.2 PPG 4 states that Local authorities should aim to ensure there is sufficient land available for industry and commerce which is readily capable of development and well served by infrastructure. It also identifies a number of locational factors to be taken into account in allocating such land. These include not only environmental factors, such as potential detriment to amenity and sources of pollution but also the locational demands of businesses and their customers, sources of raw materials and suppliers, links with other businesses, the workforce catchment area and various transport considerations. Sustainability objectives, whereby the location of development should serve to minimise the length and number of trips, especially by motor vehicle, are now particularly relevant to employment land.

7.3 PPG12 identifies a number of economic considerations for development plans, which are relevant in the provision of employment land. These include:-

"urban regeneration, including initiatives such as derelict land reclamation and City Challenge";◦"the balance between inner city and green field development";◦"socio-economic factors, such as car ownership levels, unemployment and wage levels";◦"the move in economic activity from a manufacturing to a service base (for example, the tourist industry)"; and◦"the contribution of agriculture and other rural business to the rural economy."◦

7.4 PPG12 also gives Local Authorities the opportunity to set out priorities for the type of economic development they wish to see, and to reserve land for certain specific uses, while stressing that it is essential that any such priorities are realistic and provide for an appropriate mix of employment. PPG4 identifies certain uses for which specific land allocations may be necessary. These include "extensive, well-planned distribution parks" and land for port-related or rail-related uses. Specific guidance as to the identification and safeguarding of wharves for landing aggregates, as set out in Minerals Planning Guidance Note MPG6, is now an issue to be considered by Unitary Thurrock in the UDP."

Regional Planning Guidance

7.5 As indicated in 2.14-2.15 above, the current RPG9 identifies the East Thames Corridor (now Thames Gateway) as a growth area, with the emphasis on economic growth through regeneration. In view of the major transport routes which cross the Borough and the large size of potential sites close by, the Thames Gateway Planning Framework RPG9A identifies Thurrock as an area where the exacting requirements of the distribution and logistics industry should be met. The emerging guidance in the SERPLAN Sustainable Development Strategy for the South East identifies the Thames Gateway as a "Priority Area for Economic Regeneration" where job creation, not growth in population and labour supply, is the primary aim (see 2.21).

7.6 Strategic Planning Guidance for the River Thames, set out in RPG9B, identifies Thurrock as fronting the "Crayfordness to the Sea" section of the river, where local authorities should, inter alia,:-

consider the need for, and implications of, accommodating growth in port and river traffic; andi.identify in their development plans sites which are already important for the loading or unloading of water-borne freight or which, consistent with the Thames Gateway Planning Framework, where applicable, may represent opportunities for such use, and consider protecting these sites against permanent development which could jeopardise their future use for these purposes.

ii.


7.7 The approved Essex Structure Plan makes provision for the development of 270 hectares of land in Thurrock for industry and warehousing, and for up to 10,000 sq. m. of office floorspace, between 1986 and 2001. The Thurrock Borough Local Plan identifies 215.8 hectares of land in primary industrial and commercial areas, 16.9 in secondary areas and six sites in Grays Town Centre and Chafford Hundred for office development to meet this strategic provision. This was also calculated as being sufficient land to enable the creation of some 8,000 new jobs to help meet the needs of the forecast increase in economically active population by 2001 and to combat existing unemployment. It also includes an allowance to compensate for employment sites lost.

7.8 The deposit Essex Replacement County Structure Plan ceased to have any effect on Thurrock from 1st April 1998. However it established a level of employment land provision for Thurrock which was consistent with the county development strategy for the period up to 2011 and which this Council had broadly accepted through the pre-deposit consultation process. The deposit Replacement Structure Plan made provision for 207 hectares of employment land in Thurrock to be developed between 1996 and 2011, although County accepted this Council's representation that the figure should have reflect the updated 1996 land availability total of 197 hectares.

7.9 The Replacement Structure Plan promotes the development of an Enterprise Strategy for Essex, building on the opportunities derived from the county's proximity to London; close access to European Gateways; a potentially large employment land resource (some 25% of which is in Thurrock); low infrastructure costs; and the entrepreneurial character of

the people of Essex. However, there are some reservations about the Plan's economic development strategy at deposit stage, insofar as it relied on technical information contained in their consultant's reports about the potential within each district for employment creation in various Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) categories. This indicated that by far the greatest potential for further employment opportunities in Thurrock lay within the retailing and the hotel and catering sectors, with obvious implications for land use and traffic as well as for the quality of new jobs in the Borough.

Economic objectives

7.10 Of the Council's four priorities for Unitary Thurrock, that for the Economy is:-

"Enabling a diverse and dynamic economy which provides meaningful work.

Thurrock's history is rich in industry and trade, and the scale and diversity of current businesses reflects Thurrock as a world-wide centre for production, enterprise and commerce. But we must not rely on the past to provide for the future. Our aim must be for a thriving private sector for future generations, not simply our own."

7.11 The Council's economic priority is closely allied to that relating to People:-

"Ensuring everyone has an opportunity to reach their full potential.

Using the skills and talents of all people has never been more important, as the world becomes increasingly competitive. At the heart of the new council will be a commitment to enabling Thurrock people to tap into the best possible opportunities to learn - not just at school, but throughout life. Investing in knowledge and skills will reap dividends, strengthening community life, encouraging values of respect and tolerance, building a competitive local economy and promoting civic pride."

7.12 These priorities clearly call for a different planning strategy to that implied by the consultants report used to support the county strategy. The latter would simply involve development being led by the market and Thurrock accepting whatever jobs this happened to generate - mainly in retailing, catering and other service activities, as well as in distribution. The term "meaningful work" in the Council's economic priority requires that the planning strategy should involve the pursuit of job opportunities in other employment sectors, more sustainable in economic terms and providing quality jobs with higher incomes than have been prevalent in the Borough in recent years.

7.13 This will involve an integrated employment strategy, whereby the Council will need to be pro-active in approaching relevant sectors of industry and commerce, identifying and promoting the potential for their location in Thurrock, identifying opportunities for business links and development synergy, and establishing appropriate training programmes for the local labour force.

7.14 From a land use planning perspective such a strategy will require a rigorous approach to development planning and control, identifying the relevant employment sectors to be targeted, identifying land suitable for those activities and allocating sites in the UDP with specific notations. It will also mean protecting them for those uses by refusing planning permission for developments which fall short of the strategy's objectives.

7.15 The concept of "flagship" sites would be an appropriate allocation in this context, implying and requiring a higher standard of built development as well as high quality employment activity. A number of such sites should be identified in the UDP. Of course, sufficient land will still need to be identified for other types of uses, as set out in Government guidance, to meet national and regional requirements for port-related, rail related and other specific developments, as well as for distribution and both light and general industrial purposes. Many of these latter activities are large land users in relation to the employment generated.

Unemployment

7.16 Although still an important issue, especially in the context of the Thames Gateway and the emerging regional strategy, the unemployment level in the Borough has been falling steadily since 1993 (see Appendix 2). It is now reaching a level at which a strategy as outlined above, i.e. not accepting "jobs at any cost" on flagship sites, will become more acceptable. However, as has been found in the past, it will still be necessary to guard against complacency over falling unemployment levels, which could rise again for reasons as yet unforeseen. There will be an ongoing need to monitor the situation and seek to maintain an overall balance of labour supply and demand in the Borough.

Commuting

7.17 In terms of sustainable development, the issue of long distance commuting is now seen to be as significant as unemployment in generating the need for more local job opportunities. A large number of people still commute out of Thurrock to work, especially from the east of the Borough, and the proportion of the working population doing so has continued to rise. Although Thurrock is an area where commuting to the City and other parts of London is traditional and still generally considered acceptable, it would be beneficial to local people and to the environment if less reliance was placed on this practice in the future.

7.18 The distribution of employment opportunities across the Borough has also become unbalanced in recent years, with relatively few jobs in the east of the Borough compared to the resident workforce of some 13,000 people. The closure of Shellhaven refinery will make matters worse in the short term but will present opportunities, which should not be missed, for the generation of far more jobs there than have been lost, through its redevelopment at a higher overall employment density. The Council has already begun discussions with the landowners to determine the most appropriate forms of redevelopment with this and other strategic objectives in mind.

Employment land requirement

7.19 The basis on which this was calculated for the Thurrock Borough Local Plan is set out in paragraph 6.7 above, i.e. related to local economic activity and unemployment levels. This was converted into a land requirement by dividing the job creation target by the net job density being achieved, derived from employment surveys. It is considered that this methodology is sufficiently robust to also be used for the UDP, although other aspects, such as take-up rates and specific business needs, will also need to be taken into account. This methodology also ensures that the employment land provision accords with sustainable development principles, by seeking to provide adequate local employment and avoid the need for additional commuting in the future.

7.20 Forecasting and survey work needed to establish baseline figures for the above calculation is continuing but, from indications to date, a working assumption that at least 10,000 additional jobs will be required in Thurrock between 1996 and 2011 would seem appropriate. About a quarter of these could be provided in service sectors and other developments not involving take-up of industrial/commercial land. The remainder, around 7,500 jobs, would need to be provided through industrial/commercial development. At an average employment density of 40 jobs per hectare, this would require the provision of some 188 hectares of industrial and commercial land (as currently defined in the Thurrock Borough Local Plan).

Employment land supply

7.21 The total available industrial land in the Borough as at 1996 (October 1995 survey) was 197.4 hectares, representing an adequate supply of land in relation to the proposed Essex Replacement Structure Plan provision. However, the continued availability of industrial land for the UDP period now needs to be re-assessed in the light of the increased demand for housing land, as considered in section 3, and other changing circumstances. The base date for the UDP also needs updating to 1998, when the unemployment level had reduced by around 2,000 to less than 3,000, thus affecting the need for job creation.

7.22 The industrial land supply, based on sites allocated in the Thurrock Borough Local Plan, had reduced to 184.4 hectares in October 1998 through take-up by development (see Appendix 3 - Total New Sites). Of the sites still available, some are affected by the route of the proposed Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the final losses to which are unknown at present but may amount to some five hectares of available development land and at least as many more hectares of existing industrial land. Greenlands Quarry, Purfleet, was being prepared in 1998 for development already committed and, realistically, is no longer available. The former Coalyard site at Purfleet is being reconsidered as a mixed use, rather than industrial site, as discussed previously, while the Esso North site, Titan Pit and other development sites are being considered for housing allocation in the UDP. The gross amount of industrial and commercial land being carried forward from the current supply into the UDP is thus likely to be about 130 hectares, of which less than 35 hectares is readily available.

7.23 A number of existing secondary industrial sites are also being considered for housing allocation in the UDP, so the net gain of industrial employment land carried forward could be considerably less than indicated by the current supply figures. One source of industrial redevelopment land in the past has been the decline in oil storage locally but most of the sites which have or seem likely to become redundant in the west of the Borough are in prime locations for housing redevelopment. However, the proposed closure of the Shellhaven refinery now presents an opportunity to re-allocate much of the site for alternative industrial/commercial purposes, including some of the specific uses mentioned above for which it is an ideal strategic location. The site could be redeveloped at a higher job density than its current use and could assist with sustainability objectives by providing even more jobs in the east of the Borough than would be lost as a result of the refinery closure. This would also help to redress the balance of employment sites lost in the west of the Borough. (see 3.7).

The rural economy

7.24 The rural economy is identified in Government guidance as an issue for the development plan and some 60% of Thurrock is open countryside, a large part of which is still used by that activities in the countryside are strongly influenced by the proximity of urban areas and the relative ease of access to employment there. The economy of rural areas is thus effectively interdependent with the urban economy in Thurrock's case, and is incorporated into the general economic considerations set out above.


7.25 On the basis of the planning policy guidance and corporate objectives outlined above, the key issue to be addressed in the UDP is the need to broaden the Borough's narrow economic base and attract a wider range of economic development activities by ensuring an adequate supply of suitable land. The land requirement will be identified from economic forecasts and employment surveys, targeting specific employment sectors and taking account of the particular needs of such undertakings.

7.26 It should also be a strategic objective to seek to achieve an economically and environmentally sustainable pattern of industrial and commercial development, well distributed around the Borough, to provide local employment opportunities, counter unemployment, and reduce the need for travel to work. The Council intends to identify opportunities for industrial and commercial redevelopment, and also for port activities where appropriate, to generate additional employment, especially in the east of the Borough at Shellhaven. This would also help to compensate for the fact that some former employment land, especially in the south-west of the Borough, will need to be redeveloped for housing purposes.

Retailing And Town Centres8.

Key Issue 5:

Maintaining the vitality and viability of town centres and retaining the role of Lakeside as a sub-regional shopping centre.


8.1 Government planning policy on town centres and the location of retail development is set out in PPG6 (Town Centres and Retail Development) and also partly referred to in PPG1 (General Policies and Principles) and PPG13 (Transport). General objectives of this guidance seek to sustain or enhance the vitality and viability of town centres, which are also the preferred location for those developments which attract large numbers of people and trips, including retailing, commercial and public offices, leisure and entertainment, health facilities and higher education establishments. Wherever possible the location of new major generators of travel should be located in town centres where access by a choice of means of transport , not only by car, is easy and convenient.

8.2 The guidance states that within their development plans local authorities should set out the hierarchy of town centres and the strategy for the location of retail and other town centre uses which may generate trips. The plans should also contain policies to safeguard and strengthen existing town and local centres.

8.3 Since the Public Inquiry and modifications to the Borough Local Plan there have been a number of revisions to PPG1 and PPG6 which have expanded on the issues of how retailing and town centres should be treated in development plans. The current guidance stresses that development plans should positively plan for retail and other town centre uses, working with the private sector to assess the need of market demand, and identify locations and sites for development. Where site assembly is required, the plan should indicate what the local planning authority will do to accelerate the process, including if necessary , compulsory purchase. Local authorities after assessing need should adopt a sequential approach to selecting sites for retail development, with first preference for town centre sites, followed by edge of centre, before out of centre locations are considered. The guidance stresses that such an approach should also be applied to other town centre uses which attract a lot of people.

8.4 Other revisions to national guidance stress that local authorities should encourage diversification of uses in the town centres as a whole and develop a clear strategy and policies for uses that support evening economy of their town centres. Mixed uses are also promoted which provide additional housing and create lively street frontages, with local authorities required to set out in their development plans policies for mixed use development. Local authorities are also encourage to take a flexible approach to residential and other car parking standards and are recommended to adopt town centre management strategies.

New Regional Guidance

8.5 The existing regional planning guidance (RPG9) recognises that the region has a dense network of town centres and that these centres should be the focus for retail development, to help enable one trip to serve several purposes and to ensure that shopping is more accessible to those without cars. The location of such development is also seen as contributing to the economies of these town centres.

8.6 The new draft development strategy for the south east produced by SERPLAN in 1998, has sustainable development, urban renaissance, and the concentration of development in larger urban areas as its key objectives. In respect of retailing and town centres the strategy promotes the existing larger town centres as the primary focus for new development to meet identified needs for comparison shopping provision (Policy CD4). In the light of consultations the strategy wording in respect of Policy CD4 was amended to incorporate reference to leisure as well as retail development. The strategy sets out that local authorities should work together towards accommodating higher order retail development and adopt the sequential approach. Other polices relating to town centres cover such issues as improvement of the urban environment and town centre management. Town centre strategies are regarded as key to environmental improvement, the promotion of traffic management, and enhancement of the economy and vitality and viability of town centres.

8.7 During the preparation of the draft strategy SERPLAN undertook research part funded by the government, to assess higher order comparison retail floorspace requirements up to 2011 for ROSE, based upon retail floor space/turnover ratios and ONS population projections, and later amended to take into account of proposed housing distributions. The study was undertaken in recognition that national policy contained little guidance on how retailing investment especially in comparison retailing should be distributed across the region.

8.8 SERPLAN have agreed that the retail study will become a supporting technical document to the Regional Strategy and will contain suitable caveats regarding its findings, although the study was not published at the same time as the deposit Regional Strategy document SERP 500. Furthermore because of the current uncertainties surrounding the effects of existing provision at Lakeside and the potential impacts of Bluewater Park, further discussions have taken place with the Essex & Southend and Kent sub-region authorities in an attempt to obtain further data and clarify the local situation with regard to the two regional shopping centres. Thurrock and Essex & Southend are currently jointly discussing the issue of the allocation of the retail provision for the 'Essex Area' and Thurrock Council proposes to undertake a Retail Capacity Study to support the SERPLAN work at unitary level.

UDP considerations

8.9 The Thurrock Unitary Plan will be required to contain strategic polices on retailing in Part I of the plan as well as detailed policies and proposals in the Part II. The deposit version of the Essex Replacement Structure Plan contains draft policies which identified the retail hierarchy in Essex, with Lakeside Regional Centre at the highest level. Other policies in the plan include a sequential test for all new development in town centres and the enhancement and strengthening of existing centres. After the 1 April 1998 the emerging Replacement Plan policies are no longer relevant to Thurrock.

Retail strategy and survey

8.10 National planning policy guidance in PPG6 now places emphasis on maintaining the vitality and viability of town centres by the promotion of retail, leisure, mixed-use and other key developments there. It will be important to continue to pursue this objective in Thurrock in order to help counter the effects of out of town retail developments and ensure the provision of adequate local shopping facilities. This will generally involve opposing major new retail facilities outside existing shopping centres.

8.11 Current discussions are being undertaken with the Essex County and Southend Borough Councils as to the appropriate distribution of retailing within the sub-region. Further work is to be undertaken to assess how much extra floorspace can be absorbed in Lakeside, taking into account trade diversion to Bluewater Park. Apart from small scale extensions to the regional shopping centre any large scale allocation of comparison shopping at Lakeside would impact on adjoining centres and involve the likely requirement to redesignate existing employment land allocations to accommodate retail expansion. However it is considered in principle that Lakeside should not be the focus for further retail allocation within the sub region and this additional floorspace requirement should be distributed to existing town centres and major areas of housing development, based on principles of sustainable development and the need to protect the vitality and viability of existing centres. On this basis therefore there is unlikely to be the need for major allocation of retail floorspace within Thurrock.

8.12 However there will still be an issue in the UDP for a retailing strategy which includes the identification of need and provision of sites. Further market assessment is required to identify need in each town centre for additional food and comparison floorspace. Some preliminary work in connection with the preparation of a brief for the Sandpits/King Street site in Stanford-le-hope has identified the potential for a large food store there.

Retaining the role of Lakeside as a sub-regional shopping centre.

8.13 It is now a strategic issue to be determined in the UDP as to whether the Lakeside retail area should continue to be recognised as a sub-regional shopping centre, as originally intended, or whether it should now adopt a town centre, or even a city centre role in the sub-regional hierarchy, possibly taking over from Grays as the principal commercial, if not administrative centre of the Borough.

8.14 A study of the Lakeside area commissioned for the Council by the retail operators considered whether this approach, as one option, might be the best way of securing the kind of transportation infrastructure needed to relieve the traffic congestion which afflicts the area at peak times, primarily by promoting public transport facilities. However, the Council has since opted for a different approach, deciding that the necessary transport infrastructure should be provided in connection with all new development that will generate traffic affecting the area, and largely funded by developers, in particular through encouraging a number of "flagship" developments.

8.15 Even with an improved public transport system in place, Lakeside will continue to attract large numbers of visitors in private cars from its extensive catchment area, despite the development of the Bluewater centre in Kent. Further leisure and other town centre type uses could be encouraged there but, for economic reasons, are also likely to be geared towards satisfying regional, rather than district level demand. In terms of accessibility and traffic impact therefore, as well as from a design and operational point of view, the Lakeside retail area is more likely to retain the characteristics of a sub-regional centre, best located on the edge of an urban area where it is most easily accessible from the motorway and trunk road network.

Town centres and mixed uses.

8.16 The adopted Borough Local Plan already makes provision within Grays Town Centre for redevelopment sites which including potential for a mix of uses. An issue for the UDP is whether the council should adopt a mixed use policy and allocations in the plan together with the encouragement of housing within the town centres generally, as advocated by Government guidance. If flagship retail outlets could be encouraged in town centres, providing suitable sites can be made available, then vacant outlets could be used for more specialised purposes, such as leisure or dining facilities, in order to make the centres more attractive. For example, certain vacant retail units in Stanford-le-Hope or Tilbury town centres could be converted into other uses, including possible housing.

8.17 Linked to these considerations is whether the UDP should plan for the shrinkage of retail provision in certain town centres in the borough. The continuing high level of vacancies in some centres together with preliminary research undertaken by consultants suggests there is potential to remove the restriction on non-retailing uses on some retail frontages and introduce a mixed use allocation. This would involve a re-appraisal of the current Local Plan policy (SH10) regarding the proportion of non-retail uses in shopping frontages. Any new policies and proposals would have to make reference to the type of suitable uses and how amenity and parking standards would be applied. However, it could benefit some town centres for rationalisation of retail floorspace and introduction of mixed use, in appropriate locations, to be pursued as part of the town centre strategy.

Traffic management and town centre strategy

8.18 The issues regarding promotion of traffic management, the provision of car parking and car parking standards are dealt with in section 9 - Transportation. Many of these and related issues will also be addressed in detail in the Local Transport Plan. The UDP will need to include reference to relevant town centre strategies and management initiatives that the Council will be implementing during the plan period.


8.19 In the light of the above, the Council considers that the following approach should be taken to the issues of retailing and town centres:-

Review the level of retail floorspace provision in town centres in the light of a shopping needs survey, to be undertaken and used as the basis for a retail and town centre strategy.

a.

Promote diversification and mixed uses and, where appropriate, further retail development in town centres to help ensure their viability and vitality.

b.

Retain the current Lakeside Retail Zone designation and its status in the shopping hierarchy as a regional shopping centre.

c.

Oppose further out-of-centre retail development and the retail use of land required for other purposes, subject to the sequential testing of proposals.

d.

Leisure, Recreation And Tourism9.

Key Issue 6:

The need to promote tourism and leisure facilities, having regard to their possible environmental impact, and make adequate provision for recreation generally.


9.1 Tourism, leisure and recreation are key strategic topics identified in PPG12 (Development Plans and Regional Planning Guidance) for which policies should be included in development plans. Tourism is also the topic of separate planning policy guidance in PPG21, which indicates that it enjoys considerable Government support and outlines the economic significance and environmental impact of tourism as considerations in land use planning. The employment potential of the leisure and tourism industries are significant factors in some areas, while the need to achieve a proper balance between maximising this potential and minimising the negative effects is highlighted in the guidance.

9.2 There is comparatively little planning policy guidance relating to leisure, this mainly being in the form of some encouragement in PPG6 (Town Centres and Retail Development) for leisure facilities to support the evening economy of town centres. Sport and Recreation are the subject of guidance in PPG17, which is primarily concerned with the need to make adequate provision for local recreational facilities and open space for outdoor sports. Provision for and promotion of countryside recreation is encouraged, within appropriate limitations to protect the countryside and its economy, in PPG7.


9.3 There are a number of policies in the Essex Structure Plan aimed at encouraging facilities for leisure, recreation and tourism. These include proposals for further provision of country parks in the Mardyke Valley and Horndon on the Hill to Langdon Hills, to safeguard, improve and extend the network of definitive rights of way, and to create inland water for recreational use. There is also a policy encouraging the development of a range and standard of sports facilities. The development of leisure facilities in areas allocated for industrial or retail use may be permitted, provided there is adequate land elsewhere for industry and commerce, satisfactory access and parking, and no adverse effect on amenity.

9.4 Tourism is encouraged through policies for the provision of new hotels and motels within and, where appropriate, adjoining towns (and coastal resorts), and for the provision of facilities such as picnic sites and information points. The encouragement of tourism and leisure facilities generally is subject to policy criteria for limiting their environmental and, in particular, their ecological impact.

9.5 The Thurrock Borough Local Plan generally supports and enlarges on the Structure Plan approach, except that there are no specific policies aimed at promoting tourism, other than provision for hotel development as part of the employment strategy. There are policies in the Local Plan aimed at limiting or preventing the adverse effects of certain sports, especially noisy sports. It is also policy to secure outdoor playing space in accordance with the National Playing Fields Association standard for six acres per thousand population, on an area basis, for which purpose significant additional provision is proposed across the Borough.

UDP considerations

9.6 In general, the existing policy approach to leisure and recreation in the Borough would seem to remain relevant for the UDP, although further detailed proposals may well come forward that could be incorporated into appropriate policies. Interest in commercial leisure facilities has increased recently but the existing policy for encouraging these into Grays Town Centre and the Lakeside Retail Zone is in line with current Government guidance. Such proposals would also be permitted within primary industrial areas provided there is adequate industrial land elsewhere, so the current policy provides a basis for dealing with most, if not all commercial leisure proposals.

9.7 The Council's own approach to the provision of leisure facilities has changed in recent years and a new Leisure Strategy is in the process of being drawn up. To date, however, this has generated no significant land use implications that need to be accommodated in the UDP, although some may emerge at a later date.

9.8 Demand for the provision of alternative sites for football stadia has become an issue in recent years, mainly driven by economic constraints on the improvement of existing facilities, although sometimes also by physical constraints. In Thurrock's case, the options for relocation of such facilities will inevitably involve Green Belt land and the presumption against all except small-scale facilities for sport and recreation. There is thus little or no scope for the positive identification of alternative sites.

9.9 The main issue for the UDP is the need to incorporate the land use aspects of a tourism strategy into the plan, in order to accord with Government guidance, especially since this Council has inherited the responsibility for tourism and its information facilities in the Borough from Essex County Council. There has also been a significant heightening of interest in the Borough's heritage in recent years, particularly its military and industrial legacy, which needs to be addressed corporately and supported by appropriate land use policies.

9.10 There would appear to be considerable scope for a tourism strategy to deal with these and other opportunities presented by the Borough, including its juxtaposition with London, its location on the River Thames, its accessibility, the popularity of Lakeside and the extent and character of its countryside. If carefully regulated in order to prevent damage to its environment and heritage, the Borough's economy could benefit from the encouragement of tourism in the UDP.


9.11 Appropriate land use strategy and policies for the encouragement of tourism should be incorporated in the UDP. Leisure and recreation policy should remain generally as now, retaining flexibility in the provision of new facilities, where appropriate.

Transportation10.

Key Issue 7:

to develop an integrated transport system which will: -

protect or enhance the environment;i.operate safely;ii.assist in economic regeneration;iii.improve accessibility; andiv.promote the use of sustainable modes of transport.v.


10.1 Strategic transport and highway facilities are among the key topics identified in PPG12: Development Plans and Regional Planning Guidance for which policies should be included in structure plans and Part I of UDPs. The guidance indicates that development plans should include land use policies and proposals relating to the development of the transport network and related services, such as public transport interchange facilities, rail depots, harbours, and airports, including safeguarding zones. They should provide an indication of the timescale and priorities for the proposed developments, especially major road and railway projects, and they should reflect national guidance on transport and environmental considerations.

10.2 Further and more detailed guidance is contained in PPG13: Transport, published in March 1994. This provides advice on how local authorities should integrate transport and land-use planning in order to help meet the Government's commitment towards a sustainable development strategy. Such an approach will also contribute to the goal of improving urban quality and vitality and to achieving viable rural communities. The key aim of the guidance is to ensure that local land use and transport policies help to:

reduce growth in the length and number of motorised journeys;◦encourage alternative means of travel which have less environmental impact; and so◦reduce reliance on the private car.◦

10.3 PPG13 indicates the Government's recognition of the fact that forecast levels of traffic growth cannot be met in full and that new road building or the upgrading of existing highways will, in some cases, be environmentally unacceptable. The guidance highlights the need to manage demand for car usage by limiting the building of new trunk or local roads and promoting suitable alternative modes of travel. The land-use planning process can assist in planning for less travel through influencing the location of different types of development relative to transport provision and by fostering forms of development which encourage walking, cycling and public fostering forms of development which encourage walking, cycling and public transport use. To meet these aims, the guidance sets out the following five points to be pursued through planning and land-use policies in development plans:

promote development within urban areas, at locations highly accessible by means other than the private car;◦locate major generators of travel demand in existing centres which are accessible by means other than the private car;◦strengthen existing local centres - in both urban and rural areas - which offer a range of everyday community, shopping and employment opportunities, and aim to protect and enhance their viability and vitality;

◦

maintain and improve choice for people to walk, cycle or catch public transport rather than drive between homes and facilities which they need to visit regularly; and

◦

limit parking provision for developments and other on or off-street parking provision to discourage reliance on the car for work and other journeys where there are effective alternatives.

◦

10.4 Further advice is given in PPG13 as to the location of development for housing, employment, retail, leisure, tourism, recreation, and for education and other public facilities, in order to reduce the need to travel. It also promotes policies and land-use provision for the carriage of freight (including minerals) by rail and water, rather than by road. In addition to locational policies, the guidance includes advice on complementary transport measures to which strategies and/or policies in the development plan should relate. These include car parking, provision for pedestrians, provision for cyclists, traffic management and public transport and, where appropriate, park and ride schemes.

10.5 Although the emphasis in Government guidance is now firmly on managing demand for transport in urban areas, there is recognition in PPG13 of the need for some new road schemes as well as rail or light rail proposals, or schemes employing other guided transport systems. The land needed for transport routes of all types should be safeguarded in development plans but blight should be kept to a minimum by including only firm schemes on which work will commence during the plan period.

10.6 With regard to road planning, however, PPG13 indicates that the plan should include all firm proposals for new roads and major improvements to the road network during the plan period and beyond where known, and the broad policy for minor improvements. Thus the plan will need to include all published proposals for the trunk road network, new or improved local roads within the primary route network and also those of a non-strategic nature as they relate to the development patterns proposed in the plan.

10.7 The current guidance in PPG13 is due to be reviewed in relation to the Government's White Paper on Transport (see 10.18 - 10.21 below).


10.8 RPG9: Regional Planning Guidance for the South East, also published in March 1994, sets out the strategic aspects of transportation and highlights the fact that traffic growth and congestion are increasingly threatening the economic health of the region. The Government's road programme is stated in RPG9 to be geared towards the relief of congestion, the key aim being to maintain the level of service afforded by the trunk road and motorway network. In the eastern half of the region, the priority is to remedy deficiencies in capacity and accessibility, including improvements to radial routes outside the M25, and to provide fast access to the Channel Tunnel and Channel ports. The guidance indicates that studies are in hand to consider the long term need for a further road crossing of the River Thames to the east of the existing Dartford Crossing.

10.9 RPG9 reiterates the sustainable development aims of other planning policy guidance and the importance of focusing new developments on locations which will reducing the need for travel. It also stresses the importance of parking policy as a tool for traffic management, highlighting the fact that the availability of parking has an influence on the number of journeys made and on the transport means people choose to use in making their journeys. Restraint in the provision of parking should be used to discourage traffic from congested urban areas, especially where well served by public transport.

10.10 The regional guidance also stresses the importance of railways and buses as alternatives to the private car. The location of development where it can be served by rail should be considered at the initial stage of developing overall planning strategies. The guidance identifies two types of opportunity for planned development to encourage greater use of rail services where there is no overcrowding. These are:

at the outer parts of most commuter routes, where spare capacity is available, such as in the reverse direction; and◦at nodal points on rail routes, where there are existing stations or where new stations would provide a good commercial opportunity for rail operators and developers.

◦

10.11 The guidance also recognises the importance of the regions airport facilities, and hence its accessibility, in contributing to the competitiveness of the UK economy and its attractiveness to both domestic and foreign investment. It identifies the possibility that business aviation will find its access to major airports increasingly curtailed and confirms the Government's wish to encourage the provision of adequate facilities for general aviation. Planning authorities, in formulating development plans, should consider the value to the community of having efficient business and light aviation facilities in the region.

10.12 The River Thames is identified in RPG9 as a transport medium in its own right, and one that has an influence on the surrounding transport networks, with many road and rail links running parallel to the river connecting urban centres along its banks. The regional guidance includes Tilbury as one of the most important ports in the country and stresses the need for structure and local plans (and thus UDPs) to take account of ports' development proposals and needs for adequate access.

10.13 RPG9B: Strategic Planning Guidance for the River Thames published by the Government in February 1997, encourages local planning authorities to consider safeguarding land for future port development. Additional seaport capacity is likely to be needed in the light of forecast growth in tonnage handled by the year 2020 that would result from an average growth in the national gross domestic product of 2% per annum, which at present it seems on target to achieve. While some of this capacity can be met within existing ports through redevelopment and improved handling facilities, some additional land may also be necessary for new port facilities.

10.14 RPG9A: Planning Framework for the Thames Gateway relies heavily on provision of the proposed Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) to improve accessibility to the sub-region at the European level and so help foster its regeneration. However, the framework also emphasises the need for much improved transportation networks across the River Thames, which is otherwise seen as a considerable barrier to community and economic development and to integrated and co-ordinated land-use planning within the Thames Gateway area. The need for improved cross-Thames public transport links in particular is highlighted in the guidance.

10.15 New regional planning guidance setting out "A sustainable Development Strategy for the South East " is being prepared for the Government by SERPLAN, the umbrella organisation for local planning authorities in the region. One of the policy themes in the draft strategy submitted to the Government relates to sustainable transport and includes twelve policies. Six of these are aimed at the now-established sustainable objectives of reducing the growth in travel, improving surface-based passenger transport, encouraging the use of rail and inland waterways for freight, promoting walking and cycling, regulating development to support sustainable transport objectives and managing the demand for car travel. The proposed target for the last mentioned policy is to achieve aggregate regional car mileage in 2016 below that of 1998.

10.16 Other transport policies in the strategy are aimed at developing a phased programme of transport investment, supporting the appropriate development of seaports, managing air travel and its effects (reducing growth in air travel), regulating airport development (including using regional and local airports), reducing pressure on the environment and improving transport awareness (public education designed to change travel habits). There are complementary policies relating to transport in other sections of the strategy aimed at environmental enhancement through traffic management, improving air quality by reducing exhaust emissions and improving opportunity and equity by ensuring transport systems are accessible to all sectors of the community.

10.17 The new regional development strategy has to undergo a process of public examination later in 1999 before the Secretary of State decides whether and in what form to adopt and publish it as Government planning policy.

Government White Paper

10.18 Government policy on integrated transport has further evolved since the publication by the Secretary of State, in August 1997, of an invitation to contribute to its development. This has been followed by publication of the Government White Paper on the Future of Transport "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone". The White Paper builds on the previous Government's approach to sustainable transport set out in a Green Paper and which is broadly reflected in current planning policy guidance, as set out above.

10.19 However, the new approach to an integrated transport policy in the White Paper is not simply an attempt to deal with the problems generated by the previous generation's transport strategy but seeks to make transport contribute to our way of life rather than detract from it. The "new deal" approach places greater emphasis than before on the need to improve the quality of public transport services, facilities and vehicles, to improve safety and personal security, and to create better places to live by improving air quality, increasing prosperity and revitalising towns and cities. It also proposes at the same time better protection for the environment and natural resources, a more efficient and sustainable freight transport system and greater opportunity for all sectors of society through better access to transport. New powers and funding arrangements will have to be put into place and new partnerships created in order to implement the new approach.

10.20 Many of the objectives and issues set out in the White Paper are outside the scope of the development plan system to promote and implement. The Government has therefore established the requirement for local authorities to prepare Local Transport Plans that will set out all the various aspects of the integrated transport approach in their area. These plans will replace the Transport Policies and Programmes (TPPs) that have been produced in previous years to indicate the funding and programming of road building, highway improvements and traffic management schemes. They will similarly replace the Public Transport Plans prepared by passenger transport authorities. The first Local Transport Plan for Thurrock is due to be published in July 1999.

10.21 However, many of the issues dealt with in the White Paper are land-use related and so are still appropriate for incorporation into the statutory development plan, which must continue to indicate all land-use proposals and policies affecting the local authority area. The White Paper recognises the central role that land use planning plays in delivering sustainable development and relating the provision of housing and employment to the transport networks. There will thus be a considerable degree of overlap between the development plan and the local transport plan for the same area, so it is essential that they are consistent and properly co-ordinated in production. The Government have indicated that they will shortly be preparing guidance on how the two types of plans should be integrated. They will also be updating the current planning policy guidance relating to Transport, Development Plans, and Housing in the near future, as well as reviewing Regional Planning Guidance. It may later be necessary to modify some aspects of the emerging UDP in order to accord with changes made to the guidance.

Current Development Plan Policy

10.22 The approved Essex Structure Plan contains fourteen policies of a general strategic nature relating to transport. Three of these deal with the need to improve and maintain the identified road hierarchy, and manage traffic, to a standard consistent with road safety, legal requirements and local demands while one identifies road schemes now abandoned. Two policies deal with car parking, one relating to public parking and one indicating that proposals for new development shall make appropriate provision for on-site parking. Other policies set out the general strategy for encouraging safe and convenient conditions for cyclists and pedestrians, restraining traffic in areas where there are road capacity problems, seeking a reliable public transport service, lorry routing, encouragement of rail and river transport, supporting ferry services and developing port facilities at Tilbury.

10.23 Transport policies contained in the adopted Thurrock Borough Local Plan are based on the aim of pursuing a balanced transport strategy, linked to the sustainable pattern of land use being promoted within the overall plan. This approach involves policies seeking to improve the Borough's transport network in relation to the level of development proposed in the plan through limited road building and improvement, while reducing traffic congestion through the encouragement of other modes of transport.

10.24 Thus there are policies in the current local plan identifying and safeguarding land for 17 new road schemes, 15 road improvement schemes, 4 sections of road for closure and 13 road schemes abandoned. There are three policies relating to public footpaths, seeking to promote new routes and maintain existing ones while opposing the closure or diversion of existing footpaths except in a very few situations. There are also policies for traffic management and lorry routing and a policy requiring the provision of adequate car parking in accordance with the Council's standards.

10.25 The other transport policies in the local plan generally accord with the Structure Plan strategy for encouraging alternative modes of transport and reducing reliance on the private car. As well as a policy supporting the modernisation and redevelopment of Tilbury docks, increased movement of both freight and passengers by waterways and railways is encouraged in the plan but there is a policy (T13) aimed at minimising the need for additional commuting out of the Borough to work. This links in with other aspects of the land use strategy that seek to balance the growth in population and labour supply with an adequate supply of land for the creation of new jobs in the Borough, eliminating the need for long journeys to work.

UDP considerations

Relationship to Local Transport Plan

10.26 As identified previously, the appropriate vehicle to contain the transport and land use strategy for the Local Transport Plan will be the UDP. However there may be some element of the strategy which will more appropriately be dealt with within the Local Transport Plan because of the level of detail required. Decisions will need to be taken to identify the correct 'plan' to be used.

10.27 Whilst the government has indicated that it may make local transport plans statutory, it is extremely unlikely that this position will be achieved prior to the adoption of the UDP. Conversely, because of the statutory procedures involved in pursuing an UDP, it is almost certain that the Authority will have a non-statutory approved Local Transport Plan in place before the UDP. This idiosyncrasy must be noted and due attention paid to setting out both documents in a manner which provides consistency.

Integrated Transport Strategy

10.28 The primary functions of the UDP as related to transportation issues are seen as paying due attention to government policies and legislation by the creation of appropriate Local Planning Strategies in land use terms. The major functions involved are contained within:

'A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone'. This White Paper details government policies to reduce the dependence upon the motor vehicle and to produce a model shift in transport activities to other more sustainable methods;

i.

'The Road Traffic Reduction Acts of 1997 and 1998' which require local authorities to reduce, or limit the growth of motor traffic in their areas;

ii.

'The Environmental Act 1995' and 'The National Air Quality Strategy and the Air Quality Regulations 1997' which require local authorities to meet air quality standards within their areas. Their ability to do so will depend upon the control or limiting of traffic movements and its growth.

iii.

10.29 Part I of the UDP is the correct vehicle to identify the local strategies to meet these objectives and obligations regarding future land use. This should be achieved primarily:

seeking to reduce either the need to travel, and/or the length of necessary journeys;i.seeking to promote a model shift in transport activities away from the use of the motor vehicle by demand management measures and the creation of the transportation infrastructure necessary to provide viable alternative modes of travel.

ii.

10.30 In addition the UDP must pay due attention to any matters of national and regional importance relating to transportation which affect the Borough such as:

new improved trunk or special roadsi.new road crossings of the Thamesii.new improved railways; andiii.new or improved transportation use of the Thames.iv.

Decisions need to be taken at every stage during the production of the UDP to include such proposals as far as they are known.

10.31 The UDP should be capable of standing the test of public scrutiny that land use has been identified to:

meet more of the overall requirements of residential or commercial life locally than has been the case previouslyi.provide effective freight and passenger use of buses, railways and the Thamesii.achieve the creation of a limited amount of new or improved roads with the express intent of promoting in general, or local, model shift in transport activities away from the use of the motor vehicle.

iii.

10.32 The UDP should also be capable of standing the test of public scrutiny that its contained strategies will reduce the generative effect of motor vehicle traffic created by new development by demand management measures through:

limiting the provision of car parking and servicing facilities whilst not creating local congestioni.requiring new developments to provide for and promote alternative means of travel of a more sustainable natureii.the institution of green commuter plans.iii.

Decisions need to be taken during the production of the UDP to set acceptable standards and procedures to achieve these objectives.

10.33 The production of the UDP, and its sister document the local transport plan, will take place against a background of impending extensive changes to legislation and government and/or regional planning and transportation guidance. As such, there is a strong likelihood that change will have to be made to both documents during their drafting through external, controlling influences.

Detailed Transport Policies

10.34 Detailed policies for the implementation of an integrated transport strategy will need to be set out in Part II of the UDP. As a starting point for the plan production process, it is proposed to base these on existing policies in the Thurrock Borough Local Plan, but with even greater emphasis placed on traffic management measures and the encouragement of alternative modes of travel, especially public transport. The scoping study being undertaken as part of the process will help to identify which are still relevant, although it will be based on the current state of planning policy guidance and other recent Government advice.

10.35 The balanced transport strategy approach can be developed further in the light of new planning policy guidance as it emerges, and the extent of safeguarding policies for new roads and road improvement schemes will need to be reviewed. Policies on alternative modes of travel will need to be reviewed in the light of the fact that Thurrock Council now has greater responsibility as transport planning authority than when the local plan was produced. Current policies in relation to railways and waterways may need strengthening and proposals for new facilities brought forward, including land for additional port development. New policies will need to be generated in relation to Green Commuter Plans and General Aviation.

Parking Standards

10.36 The main aspect of current policy which is at odds with even the current guidance is the policy and standards for parking. These were criticised at the Thurrock Borough Local Plan public inquiry for still being based on a minimum standard approach, with no element of reduction or restriction as sought in PPG13. The basic policy and the local standards clearly need to be brought into line with current thinking on sustainable development. Parking standards for the South East region and for Essex are currently under review, with a view to the level of parking provision being reduced, especially in areas where development sites are readily accessible by public transport and other means besides the motor car.

Rights of Way

10.37 Thurrock has a number of existing Rights of Way (ROW). However many are under-utilised, the main factors contributing to this lack of use being the poor condition of routes and inconsistent signage. Furthermore, a lack of integrated links means ROW often begin and/or end at less than ideal areas. However, with 60% of Thurrock designated as Green Belt, there is a significant potential resource for recreational use, as well as for the development of a safe and consistent network of access routes for general use.

10.38 There is a need for a coherent approach to the issue of ROW in Thurrock. This can be achieved by the development of an access strategy in consultation with user groups and local communities. The strategy could identify where there is a shortfall of existing routes and where there are difficulties within the current network, and will indicate areas of search for potential new routes and links, including the encouragement of routes that extend beyond the borough boundary.

10.39 For example, in keeping with the Councils desire for riverside routes, it is proposed that a Thames riverside access be created spanning from Purfleet to Mucking and beyond to surrounding local authority control. Whilst discussions have already begun in part, a co-ordinated strategy of staged links involving all interested parties and organisations must be undertaken.

10.40 Also, it is intended that the Mardyke Way be extended from its current western boundary at Ship Lane, Aveley to the Thames at Purfleet, thus also linking it to the Thames riverside access route outlined above. This proposal is identified in the current Local Plan and should be carried forward into the UDP.

10.41 Developing the ROW network in Thurrock has the potential to lead to an improvement in the health of the community by encouraging exercise and reducing car related pollution. Healthy living and the environment are both identified as key priority areas by Thurrock Council.


10.42 Policies to safeguard land for the following transport infrastructure proposals, or secure the implementation of the following transport planning requirements, should be included in the UDP.

10.43 Infrastructure of National or Regional Importance

Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL)1.Lower Thames Crossing2.Local Thames Crossing (Gravesham- Thurrock)3.A13- M25 Widening4.A13 East-Facing Slip Roads at A1265.

10.44 Infrastructure of Local Importance

Grays Western Relief Road1.Thurrock Park Link Road2.Curzon Drive Industrial Area- Tilbury Dock Link3.B149, Woodview Improvement4.West Thurrock Marshes Western Link Road5.Oliver Road Improvement6.Hedley Avenue Improvement7.Stoneness Road Improvement8.Chafford Hundred Internal Link Road9.West Thurrock Railway Station10.Grays Railway Station - Improved Interchange11.Chafford Hundred Railway Station - Improved Interchange12.West Thurrock Freight Transport Distribution Terminal13.A1090 Tank Hill Road Diversion (in association with CTRL)14.Oliver Road Diversion (in association with CTRL)15.Oliver Close Diversion (in association with CTRL)16.Botany Way/ Tank Lane Diversion (in association with CTRL)17.

10.45 Transport Planning Requirements

Widening Travel Choices1.

All new development above a certain size will be required to support the principle of widening travel choice through promoting the increased use of sustainable modes of transport.

a.

All new development in the vicinity of the river front will be required to examine its potential use of the Thames.b.

Traffic Management And Demand Restraint2.

All new development above a certain size will be required to promote changing the immediate area to provide the use of more sustainable modes of travel.

a.

All new development will limit parking provision to new restrictive standards and provide for anti-congestion traffic management measures in the immediate area.

b.

Integrated Transport3.

All new commercial development above a certain size will be required to implement a green commuter plan to promote integrated transport.

a.

All new housing development above a certain size will be required to provide safe routes to schools.b.

Countryside Traffic Management4.

All new rural development will be required to appropriately promote other modes of transport than the motor car including the use and enhancement of the public right of way system and to limit the impact of the development upon rural life and activities.

Sustainable Development5.

All new commercial development will be required to seek a quality partnership to limit the growth of road freight movements either generally or locally.

Minerals11.

Key Issue 8:

The need to safeguard land to ensure an adequate supply of minerals or sites for their importation, and to encourage the recycling of aggregates, while seeking to minimise impact on the environment.


11.1 Government guidance on the provision of land for mineral extraction is set out in Minerals Planning Guidance (MPG) Note 1 - General considerations and the Development Plan system, MPG6 - Guidelines for aggregates provision in England, and MPG10 - raw materials for the cement industry. There are ten other MPG's. These are listed, with a brief summary of their contents, at Appendix 4.

11.2 MPG1 sets out the general planning principles to be applied to minerals. It sets out the special characteristics of winning and working minerals. These include the point that minerals can only be worked where they naturally occur, it is not a permanent land use, working often causes disruption to the local community and when the working has stopped it will require treatment to make the land suitable for afteruses.

11.3 MPG1 goes on to set out the main elements that mineral planning authorities (MPAs) need to include in Part I and II of the Unitary Development Plan. Part I should express an MPA's strategy for mineral working taking into account national and regional policies. It is important that, inter alia, the UDP relates these policies to those of adjoining areas. In the context of Thurrock Borough Council's proposals, the position and relationship of Essex will be important.

11.4 The Guidance then goes on to set out the key considerations for policies. These include sustainable development, ensuring steady supply, landbanks, areas for future working, environmentally important areas, development control policies and land instability. All these and others will need to be covered in the Minerals Chapter of the UDP.

11.5 MPG6 - Guidelines for Aggregates Provision in England - provides advice on how to ensure that there is an adequate and steady supply of material at the best balance of social, economic and environmental cost whilst ensuring that any development is consistent with the principles of sustainable development. This MPG formally recognises that aggregates are not necessarily located nearest to the source of demand. As a result, since the early 1970's, resolving these geographical imbalances has been the work of the Regional Aggregates Working Parties (RAWP). Thurrock Council is represented by officers at the South East RAWP (SERAWP). A National Co-ordinating Group then feeds the technical advice received from the RAWP's into national guidance - MPG6.

11.6 The Guidance is also informed by long term predictions of demand for primary aggregates. Thus the purpose of the Guidance is to provide advice on the provision for aggregates that needs to be made in development plans over the period to 2006.

11.7 The MPG discusses a number of national issues, including consumption and future demand, future supply including efficiency of use and the availability of alternatives such as secondary aggregates, coastal superquarries and marine dredged aggregates. Recycling is positively supported where it is technically, economically and environmentally acceptable.

11.8 Coastal superquarries are defined as producing 5mtpa (million tonnes per annum) with reserves of at least 150mt. DETR have identified that the only suitable sites are likely to be in Scotland but that demand for the quarried material will be highest in the south east. Therefore planning authorities should identify and safeguard suitable wharfage facilities in their development plans. Similarly, the likely increase in supply of marine dredged aggregates will need safeguarded wharfage facilities.

11.9 Local planning authorities are expected to make provision for the appropriate local apportionment of aggregates. MPG6 sets out specific figures for the south east. In summary, mineral planning authorities will need to provide for 420mt of sand and gravel and 30mt of crushed rock over the period 1992 to 2006. The sub-regional apportionment is set out by SERPLAN. (RPC1446 published in 1989 and revise by RPC2705). For the sub-region of Essex the figure for sand and gravel is 6.2 million tonnes per annum. County Councils did have the option when drawing up their Minerals Local Plan to consider sub-county areas. Given that Essex considered the appropriate sub-region was the whole County in their 1997 adopted Mineral Local Plan, this will be a key issue for consideration in the production of the Thurrock UDP.

11.10 Another key feature of minerals planning as described in MPG6 is the concept of landbanks. Unlike most other areas of land use planning, mineral planning authorities are required to ensure that there is a substantial stock of planning permissions for the extraction of sand and gravel and other aggregates to meet local demand. This recognises the need for the extraction industry to be able to respond rapidly to changes in demand and that planning applications, because of their significant environmental impact, can take a long time to process. In the case of sand and gravel the land bank should be sufficient for at least 7 years extraction. Mineral planning authorities need to ensure that this land bank can be maintained throughout the period of the plan. However minerals local plans are subject to regular reviews when adjustments to the actual figures can be made.

11.11 MPG10 - raw materials for the cement industry - similarly discussed landbanks for cement production. South Ockendon currently provides a land bank for the Northfleet cement works in its requirement for clay. This land bank is expected to last well beyond the UDP period, although it may not all be required (see 10.15 below).


11.12 The current development plan for minerals is made up of policies within the Adopted Second Alteration Essex Structure Plan 1995 and the Adopted First Review Minerals Local Plan 1996. The Structure Plan, which most closely accords with the Part I of a UDP, sets out general principles for mineral development. The Structure Plan reaffirms the need to balance demand with environmental impact. However it is the Minerals Local Plan (MLP) that sets out the detailed policies which would be expected of a UDP Part II.

11.13 The MLP relates to the minerals extracted in Essex which are:-

sand and gravel - a basic construction industry raw material;◦brickearth - used in brick making;◦chalk - used in cement manufacture and for agriculture;◦clay - used for fill materials and specialised products;◦silica sand - a variety of uses including water filtration.◦

Within Thurrock, sand and gravel, and clay are the only materials being extracted.

11.14 The MLP has a period extending to the end of 2004. It aims to have a ten year land bank at the end of that period for the whole of 'old' Essex which includes Thurrock. The plan identifies future areas for sand and gravel working. Significantly none of these are in the Thurrock area. The plan also refers to the need for other minerals including clay. However clay is not used by any industry in Essex. Thus the plan does not identify any further reserves in addition to those already permitted, the bulk of which are at Aveley and South Ockendon land-fill sites.

11.15 An important consequence of this relates to the current review of mineral permission (romp) application at the South Ockendon Quarry - in particular the fact that the Northfleet cement works may close in the context of a new plant at Snodland opening. This new plant does not require clay from 'old' Essex. Therefore there would be no County based demand for clay from South Ockendon for cement manufacture and therefore no need for the landbank as required by MPG10 - raw materials

for cement production. This may become an important factor in determining whether or not Thurrock Council should allow clay to be exported by road which will, inevitably, go to sites outside of Essex.

11.16 The plan also provides for meeting the Government's targets for alternative sources of aggregates through crushed rock imports, marine dredged aggregates and aggregate recycling. The plan identifies a number of existing and proposed Thames-side sites that need to be safeguarded for future wharfage use. In Thurrock these include:-

Purfleet Wharf (Civil and Marine);◦Gibbs Wharf;◦Thames Matex;◦West Thurrock Power Station;◦Wouldham Works;◦Tilbury Power Station;◦Purfleet - Foster Yeoman;◦West Thurrock - Redland Aggregates.◦

Some of these sites are combined marine and rail depots.

11.17 The Minerals Local Plan positively supports the use of mineral extraction sites for recycling of aggregates. This issue is discussed in more detail below. The Plan also contains detailed development control policies to be applied when processing planning application for development. The UDP Part II will be expected to included similarly detailed policies.

UDP considerations

11.18 A number of important issues arise which need to be considered prior to developing the UDP further. Perhaps most important is whether or not Thurrock becomes a further sub-region of SERPLAN. One of the technical hurdles to this would be to identify a disaggregated proportion of material that the Thurrock area would need to provide to ensure that an equitable amount of extraction takes place between Thurrock and Essex.

11.19 However perhaps the main disadvantage to this is that in the context of the current minerals local plan, Thurrock has a relatively favourable position. This is best illustrated by considering the position of sand and gravel. At the moment, within Thurrock, an applicant would find it very difficult to argue a case to justify a further permission for sand and gravel extraction. This is because the MLP identifies for the whole of 'old' Essex a more than adequate supply of materials with planning permission (the land bank). If Thurrock were to adopt an independent position it would, not withstanding the broader picture, lead to considerable pressure to allow a local supply of sand and gravel from the many local reserves. This scenario could lead to an excess of planning permission blighting, in the long term, areas of environmentally sensitive land. This would not fit easily with the Government's objectives for sustainable development.

11.20 The counter argument which will be considered by Essex is that, with Thurrock providing its own supply of aggregates, there will be less demand for aggregates in the 'new' Essex area and therefore they will be able to justify a smaller land bank at the time of the next minerals local plan review. This position would offer Essex environmental benefits and therefore they could be expected to pursue it.

11.21 However it could be still argued that such an approach is not in the best interest of efficient planning nor sustainability because it is a position which has arisen solely out of local government review. It is recommended therefore that in keeping with the advice of the MPG's, a dialogue is entered into with Essex County Council to pursue a joint arrangement for future supply of minerals with the objective of achieving the best interests of the 'old' County as a whole.

11.22 A key starting point for this dialogue should be that we do not propose to increase the land bank for any of the minerals that could be extracted within Thurrock. This particularly includes clay and sand and gravel. It is an approach that can be fully justified as a holistic and sustainable proposal based on sound planning principles.

11.23 The other key issue relates to a topic also covered by the Waste topic paper. The mineral planning authority can promote good waste management practices through providing suitable land for recycling facilities and through policies that require new development to include recycling facilities.

11.24 It is recommended that relevant policies are included in the UDP to encourage recycling facilities. However, whilst normally considered 'inappropriate development' for the Green Belt, the current policies of the Adopted Essex Minerals Local Plan (MLP) support recycling facilities at mineral extraction sites. However in practice these, where successful, appear to have little direct tie to the land other than residual landfill (which can be as low as 5% of through put) or blending with raw materials. In essence they are a manufacturing process importing and then processing raw materials to turn into another saleable product. It is considered therefore that they do not justify an exception to the usual presumption against inappropriate development in the Green Belt, where all the mineral extraction sites in Thurrock are located.

11.25 Within the current MLP the Thames Matex site at Oliver Road West Thurrock has been identified as one to be safeguarded for an aggregates wharf. However it appears that there could be very real difficulties with the availability of the land and the provision of jetty facilities. A further site identified for safeguarding, which may in practice not become available, is the West Thurrock power station site which is currently the subject of a planning application for warehouse development. The development brief for the site does stipulate that account should be taken of the need to safeguard some 5 to 8 hectares for an aggregates depot. While at this stage it is proposed to retain these sites in the UDP, it is considered prudent to explore other alternatives. One such could be the Shellhaven refinery which is due to close. This has excellent road, rail and river access, it is some distance from housing and, it is not in the Green Belt.


11.26 In summary, and on the basis of the above considerations, the Council proposes the following:-

open dialogue with Essex County Council on apportionment of mineral supplies;i.promote recycling in new development and carefully control siting of recycling plants;ii.explore alternative aggregate wharves;iii.otherwise, take forward the existing Minerals Local Plan policies into the UDP.iv.

Waste12.

Key Issue 9:

To make provision for adequate waste disposal facilities but minimise the amount of waste being disposed of at landfill sites.

Policy Background - European

12.1 The draft EC Directive on landfill requires a significant reduction in the amount of bio-degradable household waste that can go to landfill - to 35% of the 1995 levels by 2020 for the UK. Further, after 2001, all waste going to landfill must be treated.

National Planning Policy Guidance

12.2 The Government in June 1998 published a draft waste strategy for England and Wales - Less Waste: More Value. This is largely a discussion document focusing upon the environmental impact of the variety of waste options set out in the now well established 'waste hierarchy'. The consultation document does not offer specific guidance for land-use planning, merely

seeking views on the possible options. Regarding landfill, Thurrock Council's formal response included comments to support long term alternatives but recognising that landfill is one of the few options for bulk disposal of residues. The Government expects to produce a draft national strategy in the first half of 1999 with a final version in later in the year.

12.3 PPG23 - Planning and Pollution Control - sets out the relevance of pollution controls to planning decisions. This advises that land-use plans should have regard to the waste disposal requirements of this Authority, and (at paragraph 2.5), the 'proximity principle' should result in the majority of waste being disposed of within the region of its generation. Generally, it emphasises movement of waste up the hierarchy provided that it can be demonstrated that this is the best practicable environmental option (BPEO).

12.4 PPG23 will, in so far as it relates to waste, be replaced by a new PPG called Waste Disposal and Management. Currently it is in draft form, with the publication expected soon. This develops further the role of BPEO, the waste hierarchy and the proximity principle. It does not offer clear regional guidance for BPEO. More specific regional advice on BPEO may come forward through the 'regional technical advisory bodies' advocated in this PPG.


12.5 RPG3 - Strategic Guidance for London Planning Authorities - again endorses movement of waste up the hierarchy subject to tests of BPEO and proximity. It emphasises the importance of land-use plans as a means of providing land for alternative means of waste handling. As with other guidance for London the potential for the river Thames as a transport option for waste is recognised.

12.6 RPG9 - Regional Planning Guidance for the South East - in the section on waste, takes a similar approach, but recognising the importance (4.55) of balancing the need for facilities against the potential impact on land-use and development of the area.

12.7 RPG 3b/9b - Strategic Planning Guidance for the River Thames - one goal is to promote the use of the Thames for transport purposes (2.12). The guidance also advises that planning policies should respect the Green Belt (2.11).

SERPLAN strategy

12.8 In March 1997 SERPLAN published waste planning advice: 'A Sustainable Waste Planning Strategy for the South East 1996 - 2010'. This is important, as it brings clear information into the waste planning debate. It recognised that landfill void is being filled at a faster rate than it is being created so, in the long term, will run out. The advice develops a land-use strategy which focuses upon achieving a higher level of diversion from land-fill. The advice makes a number of policy recommendations which, if implemented, will mean current void is sufficient to meet the region's non-inert (including household) waste disposal requirements beyond the year 2010 (when this advice expires). Significantly the advice recognises that the disproportionately high volume of waste from London ending up in 'old' Essex landfill sites (50%) needs to be reduced to 12% by 2010. This lower figure more equitably reflects the excess void within the 'old' County of Essex beyond that required for its own disposal needs.

12.9 In this advice it is important to note the very high target for diversion from landfill. In summary however, the advice does not envisage any further permissions for landfill and this policy, if upheld through planning applications, will be a key driver to help bring about the higher landfill diversion rates. It should also be noted that the sub-regional unit within SERPLAN remains the former geographical area of Essex including Thurrock and Southend. This has the implication that co-operation between the three new authorities will be required to enable the area to make an appropriate contribution.

The London Planning Advisory Council (LPAC)

12.10 LPAC, in February 1998, issued a planning strategy for London called "Planning for Waste". This endorses the SERPLAN strategy and sets out how London could achieve a more sustainable approach to waste. Currently it has been rejected by the Government as a replacement for RPG3 and the merits of it are being debated, especially LPAC's moratorium on incinerators with a capacity of more than 100,000 tonnes per annum.


12.11 The Essex Structure Plan is still a relevant development plan for unitary Thurrock. The key policy is WD1 which says permission will only be given for depositing waste where there is an identified national, regional or local need. The draft deposit replacement structure plan endorses the SERPLAN advice and, in policy WM1, states a presumption against land-raising. This plan does not relate to Thurrock post 1 April 1998, but was on deposit for the preceding two weeks.

Essex Waste Local Plan

12.12 Thurrock Council has adopted the second consultation draft of the Essex Waste Local Plan as an interim position for the purposes of planning decisions. However, in October 1998, Essex County Council placed on deposit their first land-use plan for waste for the new geographical area of Essex, including Southend-on-Sea. A detailed report on the plan was made to Thurrock Council's Environmental Services Committee on 19 January 1998, the main points to note being:-

a substantial amount of 'new' Essex arisings go to Thurrock sites;i.all of Thurrock's current void is taken up by this portion and therefore Thurrock Council would have to identify more landfill void in its plan area;

ii.

waste volumes will exceed the projections made by SERPLAN.iii.

UDP considerations

12.13 Of the Council's four priorities for Unitary Thurrock, that for the Environment is

"Raising the quality of life through a commitment to sustainable development.

The physical and natural environment of Thurrock is crucial to its revival. Existing and future generations deserve the quality of life that only a clean, green environment can bring. But we also need to recognise that the image of Thurrock is bound up in the way we use our natural resources. New development is important but, in a range of ways, the council must adjust the balance in favour of the environment if our revival is to be lasting."

12.14 How society as a whole deals with its waste is a fundamental test of our approach to sustainable development. It provides the simple test:- Is our approach to waste 'sustainable' in the long term.

12.15 Given the long links of Thurrock to the waste disposal needs of the region, the Council's economic priority is also important:

"Enabling a diverse and dynamic economy which provides meaningful work.

Thurrock's history is rich in industry and trade, and the scale and diversity of current businesses reflects Thurrock as a world-wide centre for production, enterprise and commerce. But we must not rely on the past to provide for the future. Our aim must be for a thriving private sector for future generations, not simply our own."

Overall land-use strategy

12.16 Within Essex and especially its role within the region, waste management has historically been very important to Thurrock. For example, half of London's waste is disposed of in the geographical area of 'old' Essex and half of that amount is disposed of within Thurrock, mainly at the three sites at Mucking, South Ockendon and Aveley.

12.17 However, with the exception of South Ockendon, which will run to at least 2013, these sites are due to close early in the next millennium. In the event that their lives are not prolonged, this will change significantly the waste disposal pattern within the Borough but will also have a knock-on effect through out the region. Gradually, as more and more landfill sites close or come near to closure, pressure will mount to find methods of dealing with waste in a more sustainable way. If realised, the strategy will lead to more recycling facilities (as well as some reduction at source, although this depends largely on measures beyond planning control - for example raw material taxes which favour the economics of recycling) and other facilities aimed at reducing the volume of waste requiring land-fill. These other facilities are generically known as major waste management (MWM) facilities. However the current dominant process is incineration usually involving energy recovered for power generation.

12.18 It is likely therefore that the SERPLAN strategy will lead to planning applications for recycling facilities and incinerators. A number of keys issues therefore arise.

Landfill

12.19 Within the context of SERPLAN policy outlined above, there is presently no 'need' for further landfill facilities within the Borough other than those already operating. This approach is proposed as a fundamental strand of the Council's land-use policy for waste management.

MWMs (including Incinerators)

12.20 LPAC have suggested that for incinerators within London there should be a maximum size of 100,000 tonnes per annum. LPAC argue that the limit is to ensure that incinerators deal only with local waste. There is considerable debate as to whether this is the most sustainable option, as opposed to larger, but fewer, incinerators (a large incinerator is one with a typical capacity of 600,000 tonnes per year). A large incinerator will draw in waste from a much larger area, but could have operational economies of scale over smaller ones. Also, there appears to be very little commercial interest in small incinerators.

12.21 If sited within Thurrock, a large incinerator would draw in waste from a larger area, reinforcing not only its role in waste disposal but also the adverse perception that can be gained of an area. A quarter to one third of the incinerator through-put still needs to be land-filled. The economic costs of setting up incinerators require long term guarantees of supplies. Typically, the London Boroughs are signed up to 20 to 30 year contracts with penalty clauses should sufficient volumes not be delivered. These contracts are a barrier to increasing recycling rates or other methods of waste reduction. There are still unresolved health concerns with incineration. There are already adequate facilities for disposing of this Borough's waste arisings; as well as a fair proportion of the regions. In summary, it is better that incineration with or without energy recovery is resisted in Thurrock, at least for the duration of the UDP.

12.22 With regard to other MWMs, the approach in the UDP should be for each type to be treated on it individual merits, with applicants being required to demonstrate that the scheme is the BPEO for waste arising in the local area and that the particular site is suitable, in terms of environmental and traffic issues, for the purpose. Given the wide range of commercial sites available within the Borough it is not proposed that a specific site or sites should be identified in the UDP, nor, as has been the case elsewhere in Essex, are specific Green Belt or open countryside sites chosen (see also 3.11 below).

Promoting Recycling

12.23 The local planning authority can promote good waste management practices through providing suitable land for recycling facilities and through adopting policies that require new development to include waste recycling facilities. Relevant policies to encourage recycling facilities should thus be included in the UDP.

12.24 However, whilst normally considered 'inappropriate development' for the Green Belt, the current policies of the Essex Deposit Waste Plan and the Essex Adopted Minerals Local Plan support recycling facilities at mineral extraction sites. In practice, these facilities, where successful, appear to have little direct tie to the land other than residual landfill (which can be as low as 5% of through-put) or blending with raw materials (approximately 20%). In essence they are a manufacturing process importing and then processing raw materials to turn into another saleable product. It is considered therefore that they do not justify an exception to the usual presumption against inappropriate development in the Green Belt and should be located on suitable industrial land.

12.25 For new development, policies should be adopted which require land and buildings within schemes to be set aside to allow separation of materials ready for recycling and, where appropriate in larger development, require developers to enter into legal agreements to recycle their waste. The land-use justification is to ensure that the facilities for final disposal of waste are available into the longer term. Similarly, where demolition is involved, the developer should be required to recycle, or make available for recycling, all the materials resulting from the demolition operations. It may be more appropriate to include relevant policies within the Built Environment Chapter of the UDP.

Civic amenity site

12.26 The current civic amenity site, at Buckingham Hill Road, is small and lacking many of the facilities seen at other more modern sites. The present site, by historical accident, is within the Green Belt and, combined with a poor road access, is considered unsuitable for further expansion. When resources become available it is probable that a new site will be sought. Many industrial estate locations may well be acceptable for a civic amenity site and the acceptability of any one will depend on the specific environmental and traffic effects, including locations giving best access to the Borough's residents.

12.27 Given the amount of traffic, built form and activity generally associated with civic amenity sites, a Green Belt location is not considered appropriate. It is highly unlikely that there would be any 'very special' circumstances that would warrant an exception to the usual development plan presumption against inappropriate development.

Mining of waste

12.28 With many parts of the Borough having been subject to landfill in the past, it is possible that proposals may come forward to mine the deposited waste. Most sites are within the Green Belt and/or close to centres of population. In addition there is unlikely to be any economic need for the mined materials. Policies which specifically exclude such mining should be included in the UDP.

Afteruses

12.29 Although waste disposal sites are active over long periods of time, they are in planning terms nonetheless temporary uses of land and the consideration of appropriate afteruse is particularly important. This is especially so in the context of the Borough's aspirations for landscape improvement and the promotion of the Thames Chase community forest. Traditionally, and with the strong support of the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF), land has returned to agriculture. However these sites present an opportunity to enhance local community recreation facilities both as a method of achieving better quality

restoration schemes and as a measure of compensation for the disturbance the activities have caused. Policies should be included in the UDP to ensure that appropriate community and amenity afteruses are promoted at such development sites.


12.30 In summary, and on the basis of the above considerations, the Council proposes the following approach:-

continue to support the overall SERPLAN strategy, a key part of which is to maintain landfill provision at current leveli.resist incinerators, especially where it involves the import of waste to the Borough and to consider other major waste management facilities on their merits

ii.

promote recycling in new development and carefully control, through defined site selection criteria, the siting of recycling plants

iii.

seek a new civic amenity siteiv.resist mining of wastev.require afteruses to focus on amenity, forestry and recreation; and,vi.otherwise, take forward the existing policies of the draft Essex Waste Local Plan into the UDP.vii.

ENERGY GENERATION13.

Key Issue 10:

The need to ensure sufficient land is set aside or provision is otherwise made for the generation of energy.


13.1 Energy generation, including renewable energy, is one of the key strategic topics that should be addressed in a UDP, as set out in PPG12. The guidance indicates that proposals for major energy developments should be included in (structure) plans sufficiently early to allow for the timescale required by the energy supply industries to construct and commission plants.

13.2 Development plans also provide the utilities responsible for energy production with essential inputs for their own planning. It may thus be anticipated that energy suppliers, as with other utilities, will require provision to be made in the plan for the construction of additional or replacement plant in relation to the scale of development generally being proposed in the locality or in the region. Development plans should take account of local, regional and national requirements for energy and local planning authorities will be expected to indicate in their plans what account they have taken of specific proposals notified by the energy supply industries.

13.3 In areas where large energy developments might be expected, (structure) plans should indicate broadly where they might be located. The guidance does not specify how this should be done, so there would appear to be the choice of either identifying specific sites, describing general areas or defining other selection criteria for the location of such developments, or some combination of these methods.

Renewable energy

13.4 Planning policy guidance on renewable energy is set out in PPG22 of February 1993. This defines renewable energy as the term used to cover those energy flows that occur naturally and repeatedly in the environment that can be harnessed for our use, some of which may be commercially exploited. The main sources identified are the sun, wind and oceans, the fall of water, geothermal energy, plant material, and combustible or digestible industrial, agricultural or domestic waste. The guidance also describes the various technologies, which can be used to extract and convert the energy into usable forms.

13.5 The Environment White Paper 'This Common Inheritance', published in 1990, sets out the Government's strategy for limiting the generation of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. PPG22 sets out the Government's general aims in relation to the planning of energy-generating installations as being:-

to ensure that society's needs for energy are satisfied, consistent with protecting the local and global environmenta.to ensure that any environmental damage or loss of amenity caused by energy supply and ancillary activities is minimised; and

b.

to prevent unnecessary sterilisation of energy resources.c.

13.6 As well as helping to limit the emission of greenhouse gases, the use of renewable energy can make considerable savings on the nation's energy bill. The Government has estimated that up to 25% of the UK's electricity, together with a significant amount of heat, could potentially be generated using renewable technologies by the year 2025 (Department of Energy Paper 55 - 'Renewable Energy in the U.K.'). Under the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation set out in the Electricity Act 1989, the Secretary of State has set targets for the generation of electricity from renewable sources, in pursuit of these aims.

13.7 The planning policy guidance recognises, however, that many proposals for the development of renewable energy sources will be sited in rural areas or on the coast and will almost always have some local environmental effects. Policies for developing renewable energy sources must therefore be weighed carefully in relation to policies for protecting the environment. PPG22 also reaffirms that very special circumstances would be needed, in line with PPG2, to justify such development in the Green Belt, unless a particular proposal constitutes a use appropriate to a rural area.

13.8 As well as promoting renewable energy, the guidance stresses the importance of energy efficiency in making a substantial impact on our demand for energy. Measures for exploiting these potential savings should be encouraged.


13.9 The approved Essex Structure Plan does not contain any policies on energy generation. The issue was addressed, however, in the Essex Replacement Structure Plan, which was on deposit in Thurrock in March 1998 but no longer has any effect on the Borough. The deposit plan noted that Tilbury Power Station is the only remaining major conventional power station in the former county area using fossil fuels and that no proposals had, at that time, been notified by the energy supplies industry for any new coal or oil-based power stations in the county.

13.10 The replacement plan recognised that future proposals could come forward for Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power stations, which operate at relatively high energy efficiency, and also for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) stations, which can simultaneously generate space and/or water heating with the generation of electricity. The potential for renewable energy schemes to come forward was also recognised. The deposit plan included two criteria-based strategic policies seeking to ensure that energy generation proposals would have no adverse environmental effects, a policy promoting CHP developments and a policy encouraging energy conservation and the use of renewable sources within new buildings.

13.11 The Thurrock Borough Local Plan does not contain any policies or land use allocations relating to new energy developments, no proposals having been identified by the energy industries when consulted on the plan. West Thurrock Power Station was identified for closure and site redevelopment. The plan contains policies enabling the redevelopment for alternative purposes of the disused Tilbury 'A' Power Station site, while Tilbury 'B' Power Station is assumed to remain in use at least for the duration of the plan (to 2001). Built Environment policy BE11 states that the Council will take into account the need for energy efficiency in the built form of new developments.

UDP considerations

Generating Stations

13.12 Privatisation of the energy supply industries has made it more difficult to identify the likely need for future power generation plant and associated supply/transmission facilities than in the past, when demand was assessed and provision planned by a central generating authority. Proposals for various types and scales of development may emerge under the influence of market forces at any time during the plan period. Policies will be needed in the UDP to deal with these as well as with pre-notified proposals.

13.13 The major energy utilities will need to be contacted early to identify any proposals they may require to be taken into account in the UDP. There are likely to be many other potential developers, particularly of smaller electricity generation plant, for whom the pre-deposit consultation process will provide the opportunity to make their intentions known. Identified proposals can then be taken into account, and sites allocated where appropriate, in the deposit plan.

13.14 Planning control may be exercised differently over major electricity generation proposals than it is over minor developments. Under the Electricity Act 1989, a generating station whose capacity exceeds 50 megawatts (MW) may not be constructed, extended or operated, or an overhead line of more than 20 kilovolts (kV) installed, except in accordance with a consent granted by the Secretary of State for Energy under Section 36. Applications for major proposals must be accompanied by an Environmental Statement describing their impact.

13.15 Where planning permission is required for such development, the granting of consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act may also be deemed, on direction of the Secretary of State for Energy, to constitute planning permission for the development. However, the Secretary of State has a duty to allow the relevant planning authority an opportunity to register an objection to any such proposal and to hold an inquiry if it does so. There may also be exceptional circumstances in which the Secretary of State for Energy does not exercise his power to direct that deemed planning permission is granted and may leave it up to the planning authority to determine whether, or under what conditions, planning permission should be granted.

13.16 Proposals for generating stations of 50MW or less and overhead lines of 20kV or less are exempt from the requirement for Section 36 (Electricity Act) consent but will need planning permission from the Council for their development. Many of these smaller developments, and even some of the medium sized schemes larger than 50MW, may well prove to be acceptable within areas allocated for industrial development in Thurrock without detriment to the employment-generating objectives relating to such land. Modern gas-fired generating plant does tend to employ relatively few people once the construction phase is complete. Major schemes should thus not normally take land intended for general industrial and commercial development. There may also be implications for the environment arising from proposals not located at existing power generation sites, due to the need for new fuel supply pipelines and electricity transmission lines to be constructed (see 12.19 below).

13.17 Under the free market conditions now prevailing in the energy industry, an increasing number of the larger industrial undertakings may well opt to generate their own power. There may also be the emergence of proposals for small area energy supply (energy parks), including potential steam and hot water through CHP generation, to service local industrial areas and/or residential areas (community heating). Such schemes can help to improve overall energy efficiency by reducing transmission losses, but only if the generating plant can be satisfactorily located in relation to the areas to be served.

13.18 While it is Government policy to encourage more efficient energy generation and to limit the production of greenhouse gases, the Government is currently reviewing its policy for promoting gas-fired power stations, which has favoured such developments over the traditional coal and oil-powered plant. Pending the review, there is currently an embargo on the consenting of CCGT power stations, although CHP projects are still likely to be favoured because of their high energy-efficiency rating. The future of Tilbury 'B' Power Station could well be influenced by the review.

Pipelines and power lines

13.19 The possibility of a number of new power generation proposals arising in Thurrock, including in locations where there is no existing infrastructure for transmitting electricity or supplying gas, implies a potential need for several new pipeline or overhead power line routes to be developed in the Borough. These can be environmentally damaging to the area, either physically and ecologically, in the case of gas pipeline construction, or visually in the case of overhead electricity transmission lines.

13.20 There are also safety and blighting issues with both. High pressure gas pipelines are notifiable hazards that can preclude development in close proximity, while there is still considerable uncertainty about the effects on health of electromagnetic fields generated by high voltage power lines.

13.21 Concern has recently been expressed that the existing large number of major overhead power lines passing through the Thames Gateway area, including many such routes in Thurrock, may also be damaging to the economic prospects of the area by deterring inward investment. Pressure is mounting for many of these existing lines to be placed underground, so it would be counter-productive to encourage the proliferation of yet further overhead lines in the sub-region.

13.22 The centralised planning of power generation prior to deregulation has tended to limit the number of power station sites in the past, albeit they were of a significant scale, and there are currently no development plan policies dealing with the issues relating to energy transmission. These will need to be addressed in the UDP, however, which should include policies aimed at limiting the effects of such developments, requiring related environmental improvements, especially to landscaping, protecting wildlife and, in particular, minimising and preferably eliminating visual impact. This approach would apply pressure for new power generation facilities to be located as close as possible to exiting sites and transmission routes.

Renewable Energy

13.23 Waste is the most likely source of renewable energy to be usefully harnessed in Thurrock in commercial quantities (but see 11.21 above). It can take the form of direct burning of waste materials in 'energy from waste' incineration plant or the production of inflammable gas (Biogas), through the process of anaerobic digestion, that can either be used to power internal combustion engines or burned in CHP systems. Landfill gas derived from waste tips is another source already being exploited in Thurrock.

13.24 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) can either be burned in 'mass burn incineration' processes, in which there is little or no pre-treatment of the material, or as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF). The latter is produced by screening the waste to separate recyclable materials and shredding the combustible waste, which may also be formed into fuel pellets. Such pre-treatment of waste should, however be regarded as an industrial process which need not necessarily be undertaken at the incineration site, although there may sometimes be environmental and economic benefits from doing so.

13.25 MSW, sewage sludge and farm slurry are the main types of waste employed in anaerobic digestion. Sludge dumping at sea will cease to be an option this year and, although sewage sludge can be incinerated, an increase in the level of anaerobic digestion, which already takes place at the sewage works in Thurrock, is the most likely way of dealing with increased arisings. More farmers may seek to take up the option of installing anaerobic digestion plant to produce their own power from farm slurry.

13.26 Wood fuel can either be burned directly or used to generate combustible gases using a gasification plant. The fuel can be derived either from conventional forestry, using part or all of the mature trees, or from 'short rotation coppice', in which fast-growing trees such as willow or poplar are planted at very high density, coppiced and harvested every 3-5 years at about 2 metres tall. This process is replacing conventional farm cropping in some parts of the country, the UK's first commercial-scale generating station powered by wood fuel having been commissioned in 1998.

13.27 Another source of renewable energy, which may have an impact in Thurrock in the future, is solar energy. This can be harnessed either in 'active solar' systems, using water-heating collectors to convert the sun's radiation into heat, or in 'photovoltaic' systems, which use solar cells to convert it directly into electricity. It is unlikely that either of these systems will be used in even small-scale generating stations in the UK, but they could increasingly be used to contribute to the heating or power supply of individual buildings, or to heat swimming pools. Such uses should be encouraged but may generate issues of design and visual impact.

13.28 Other renewable energy sources, chiefly those that can only be harnessed where they occur, are unlikely to be issues in the Thurrock UDP, for the reasons indicated below.

13.29 Wind energy is harnessed using wind turbines, usually either singly or in large numbers on 'wind farms'. Wind turbines normally need sites with an annual average wind speed of more than 7.5 metres per second (m/s) at hub height, which generally only occur on high ground or in coastal areas. Parts of the Essex coast are identified in PPG22 as having wind speeds of up to 7.0 m/s, possibly having sites on the lower limit of the requirement. Thurrock is shown to be primarily within a 5.0 to 5.5 m/s wind speed area, and is thus unlikely to be the subject of such proposals.

13.30 Furthermore, the most exposed riverside zone in Thurrock is the subject of coastal protection policy, which normally applies the most stringent restrictions on development. The primary impact of wind turbines is, of course, on visual amenity, although they can cause operational impacts, such as shadow flicker and electro-magnetic interference, as well as disturbance during construction (generally they are relatively quiet in operation). More significant, however, is the fact that, in the case of Thurrock, the open areas normally needed for such developments are all in the Green Belt, where they would be considered inappropriate.

13.31 To be economically viable, the generation of Hydro-electricity requires particular rainfall and geographical characteristics for harnessing the fall of water, which do not occur naturally in Thurrock. The generation of electricity from wave power could make use of estuaries for siting tidal barriers containing turbines or strings of floating generating devices. However, the extent of shipping activity makes either option most unlikely in the Thames estuary.


13.32 In order to properly address the issues relating to energy generation, the UDP will need to embody criteria-based policies for dealing with proposals for all types and sizes of generating station and other schemes for energy generation which might arise. The energy industries will be contacted and consideration given to any proposals for new generating plant they may notify to the Council or which may emerge from the pre-deposit consultation process. Appropriate land allocations will then be made in the deposit UDP. Renewable energy sources appropriate to the area should be identified, and their use encouraged, in the UDP. Energy efficiency should continue to be promoted in the Borough.

13.33 However, the Council intends to oppose the development of new energy generation facilities where any adverse physical or visual impact of the facility itself or a related pipeline or power transmission line is environmentally unacceptable, or is not minimised or adequately mitigated by appropriate means. Within the Thames Gateway area, the Council will expect all new electricity transmission lines to be placed underground.

13.34 Strategic and more detailed criteria-based policies along the lines of those proposed in the Essex Replacement Structure Plan Deposit, policies EG1, 2 and 3 and EH4, would appear to be appropriate for the UDP, subject to variation reflecting the above points and Thurrock's local circumstances.

Environmental Appraisal Of Policies & Proposals14.


14.1 Planning policy guidance in PPG12 identifies the need for local planning authorities to have regard to environmental considerations in preparing their general proposals and policies. Most planning policies have environmental implications and these should be appraised as part of the plan preparation process. 'Environmental Appraisal' is therefore a process of weighing up the environmental and other consequences of policy and is an integral part of the plan making process.

14.2 The key tasks of Environmental Appraisal (EA) are set out in the Department of the Environment publication "Environmental Appraisal of Development Plans: A Good Practice Guide" (1993). Each of these tasks must be undertaken as part of the Unitary Development Plan process, as follows:

Defining environmental stock - is a process of characterising the environment in order to catalogue all that has environmental value and provide a 'baseline' context for considering the environmental effects of policies.

1.

Policy appraisal - the polices and proposals in a plan must be appraised to establish their environment effects. This process may be also applied to a number of policy or strategy options and can assist with the refinement of a preferred option.

2.

Scoping the Plan - to ensure that the plan covers the appropriate range of environmental concerns in order to be sustainable.

3.

Defining environmental stock

14.3 Part One of the process of Environmental Appraisal involves 'Characterising the Environment'. Environmental appraisal needs a baseline position, so that Unitary Development Plan policies and proposals may be considered in terms of the changes that they are likely to make. Characterising the environment of Thurrock through an assessment of environmental stock provides that baseline for the UDP.

14.4 Having this available at the initial stage of the plan process means that strategic options can be looked at to see if they have a positive or negative impact upon the environmental stock (this process is described more fully under Part two, below). In later stages of the Plan process, detailed policies and proposals can similarly be appraised.

14.5 Three levels of environmental stock are identified, namely global sustainability, natural resource management and local environmental quality. The elements of the stock have been compiled in a report which attempts to identify all aspects of the environment on which land use plans may have an impact. The key elements of the stock are as follows:-

Global Sustainability - this section is primarily concerned with atmospheric and climatic stability and with biodiversity. A.1. Transport Energy: Efficiency - Trips2. Transport Energy: Efficiency - Modes3. Built Environment Energy - Efficiency4. Renewable Energy Potential5. Rate Of CO2 "Fixing"6. Wildlife Habitats

Natural Resources - this section is concerned with our resources of air, water, the land and its minerals. B.7. Air Quality8. Water Conservation And Quality9. Land And Soil Quality10. Minerals Conservation

Local Environmental Quality - this section is concerned with local environmental features and systems ranging from landscape and open land to cultural heritage.

C.

11. Landscape12. Urban Environment "Liveability"

13. Cultural Heritage14. Public Access Open Space15. Building Quality

Policy appraisal

14.6 Part Two of the process of involves an appraisal of plan policies and proposals. At the first stage of the UDP preparation process this will primarily involve the appraisal of alternative strategy options for the future development of Thurrock. This allows conclusions to be drawn about the likely positive and negative impacts of each and for decisions to be made about the best strategy for the Borough. Later in the process the detailed policies and proposals can be appraised.

14.7 At any stage of the plan where policy appraisal is carried out, it is proposed that fifteen environmental impact criteria are used for the evaluation of likely environmental impacts. These criteria are derived from the fifteen elements of environmental stock listed above. At the first stage of the process, two additional criteria are added which assess the options in relation to the scope of the most relevant central government guidance. Each of the seventeen criteria has one or more indicators of the performance of each option. A full list of the criteria and indicators is given at Appendix -.5

14.8 Several alternative options have been evaluated, involving differing levels of development and in different locations. The results of each of these evaluations are set out in the form of a matrix. This sets out the positive and negative impacts of each option against each criteria using the following key:

Negative Greater 5

Negative Lesser 4

Neutral 3

Positive Lesser 2

Positive Greater 1

As well as the matrix, an explanatory comment may be provided in relation to each criteria. This comments on the comparative performance of each of the options in terms of the specified criteria and indicators.

Scoping the Plan

14.9 Part Three of the process of Environmental Appraisal involves scoping the Plan in order to ensure that it covers the appropriate range of environmental concerns. The intention is to ensure that the UDP is embracing the right scope of policies and proposals in order to be sustainable. In particular, the scoping exercise can:

indicate the environmental issues which require particular attention;◦put the environmental agenda in the core part of the Plan;◦establish consistency with central government policy and other relevant guidance; and◦decrease the likelihood of challenges to the Plan on the grounds of inadequacy of environmental content.◦

14.20 Step One involves defining the appropriate scope for policies. The prime source of the scoping exercise are the Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPG's). The second source of advice comes from the relevant environmental agencies and other appropriate bodies (i.e. Countryside Commission, English Nature, English Heritage).

14.3 Step Two is the examination of the actual scope of the Plan against the intended scope. This is a broad brush exercise and is not concerned with the detailed performance of policies.

14.4 The scoping exercise has been carried out in respect of existing guidance and planning policies for the Borough in order to identify the need for revisions or additions to the current scope of policy coverage for the UDP. Environmental appraisal of the strategic options will be available as a technical report in support of the pre-deposit consultation on the UDP. A full appraisal of the emerging policies and proposals will be published when the UDP is placed on deposit.

Next Steps15.

15.1 The questionnaires returned and comments received in response to this pre-deposit consultation will be analysed and summarised in a Report of Consultation that will be presented to the Council's Environmental Services Committee. The Committee will take account of the Report of Consultation in deciding on the strategy, policies and detailed proposals for development of the Borough to be included in the UDP for deposit.

15.2 The UDP will be placed on deposit towards the end of the year, when a statutory period of six weeks will be allowed for formal representations to be made. The start of the deposit period will be announced by public notice in a local newspaper and will be the subject of a press release and various forms of advertisement. It will also be advertised at Council offices, libraries and other buildings throughout the Borough, where copies of the UDP will be deposited for public inspection.

15.3 If any objections are made to the proposals in the deposit plan the Council will negotiate with objectors to try and resolve them. There may then need to be a public local inquiry, when a Government appointed Planning Inspector would hear any objections that cannot be resolved by negotiation. If proposed new development plan regulations and procedures are put in place by the Government before the UDP is placed on deposit, it will be necessary for there to be a second deposit period following the negotiations with objectors and before the public inquiry. This would affect the subsequent timetable for production of the UDP, which is aimed at adoption of the Plan by the end of 2001 (see Appendix 1).

Appendices

Appendix 1•Appendix 2•Appendix 3•Appendix 4•Appendix 5•

Appendix 1

Thurrock Unitary Development Plan Proposed Timetable For Production As At March 1999

STAGE DATE(S)Draft Issues Report to Committee 30th March 1999Pre-deposit Consultation May - June 1999Deposit November - December 1999Public Inquiry May - September 2000Inspector's Report submitted by end of 2000?Proposed Modifications June-July 2001Adoption by end of 2001

Appendix 2

Unemployment In Thurrock

Total Unemployment In Thurrock 1991 To 19981.YEAR TOTAL UNEMPLOYMENT % OF ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE*July 1991 5125 7.9July 1992 6333 9.8July 1993 6968 11.3July 1994 5944 9.2July 1995 5261 8.2July 1996 4863 7.6July 1997 3649 5.7July 1998 2891 4.5October 1998 2608 4.4

Source: Department of Education & Employment.

Unemployment By Ward, July 19982.WARD TOTAL UNEMPLOYMENT % OF ECONOMICALLY

ACTIVE*

Total 2891 4.5

Aveley 151 4.4Belhus 308 8.6Chadwell St. Mary 213 4.8Corringham and Fobbing 71 2.5Corringham West 79 2.5East Tilbury 90 2.7Grays Thurrock 219 5.1Grays Riverside 244 6.3Little Thurrock Blackshots 92 3.6Little Thurrock Rectory 117 3.6Ockendon 190 5.9Orsett 38 1.4Stanford-le-Hope East 80 2.6Stanford-le-Hope West 68 2.6Stifford 99 2.8Chafford Hundred 26 5.9West Thurrock 252 6.6The Homesteads 77 1.6Tilbury Riverside 237 9.2Tilbury St. Chads 240 9.2

* Based on 1991 census of population.

Appendix 3

Available Industrial And Commercial Sites, As At 30 September 1998 (In hectares, by Thurrock Borough Local Plan policy designation)

Sites For New Industrial Development1.SITE NO. SITE NAME SIZE (HA)

TOTAL NEW SITES AVAILABLE 184.41

E2 (a) Purfleet Industrial Park, PurfleetPlot: Remainder Plot 8, Juliet Way 1.02Plot: Plot 14, Juliet Way 0.76Plot: Plot 44 0.89

E2 (b) Tank Lane/ Arterial Road, Purfleet 3.10E2 (c) Botany Quarry, Purfleet

Plot: Phase 1 extension 0.67E2 (d) Former Coalyard Site, Purfleet 2.79E2 (e) Former Thames Board Mills Site, Purfleet 3.52E2 (f) Esso North Site (Eurolink), Purfleet 16.0E2 (i) Van Den Bergh and Jurgens, Purfleet 13.6E2 (j) 'Greenlands' Quarry, Purfleet 23.5E2 (l) Stonehouse Lane/Arterial Road, Purfleet 1.60E2 (m) 'Bluelands East' Quarry, West Thurrock 11.4E2 (o) London Road, West Thurrock 0.21E2 (p) Lafarge Jetty Site, West Thurrock 1.2E2 (q) Tunnel Estate, West Thurrock

Plot: 6, Waterglade Industrial Park 0.81Plot: 4A, Waterglade Industrial Park 0.87Plot: 3, Waterglade Industrial Park 0.31

E2 (r) South of London Road, West Thurrock 1.05E2 (s) Tunnel Jetty, West Thurrock 3.6E2 (t) Motherwell Way, West Thurrock 0.53E2 (u) Lakeside Trading Estate, West Thurrock

Plot: Phase 3, East of Heron Way 0.43Plot: Thurrock Autopark. 6.48

E2 (v) North of Oliver Road, West Thurrock 1.6E2 (x) St Clements Road, West Thurrock 2.3E2 (y) Wouldham Works, South Stifford 9.6E2 (z) Chafford Hundred NW Zone

SITE NO. SITE NAME SIZE (HA)

TOTAL NEW SITES AVAILABLE 184.41

Plot: Roebuck Park Part land parcel H1. 0.68Plot: Roebuck Park Land parcel F 0.45

E2 (aa) Thurrock Park, Little ThurrockPlot: Land south of Thurrock Park Way (Plot 1). 2.2Plot: Thurrock Park remainder 5.82Plot: Land west of Botney Channel 1.05

E2 (bb) Tilbury South 26.8E2 (cc) Tilbury Power Station, North 14.3E2 (dd) Bluelands West 7.0E3 (l) Grays South, Manorway 0.06E4 (a) Chafford Hundred, North East Zone 3.09E4 (b) Titan Pit (north), Grays 4.5E4 (c) Stanhope Industrial Park, Stanford-le-Hope

Plot: Site C 2.56Plot: Part Site E 0.89Plot: Remainder Site E 1.13

E4 (d) Bata/Thames Industrial Park, East Tilbury 3.4E9b(c) Gatx terminal, South Stifford 2.64

Sites Available For Redevelopment2.SITE NO. SITE NAME SIZE (HA)

Total Redevelopment Sites Available 4.63TOTAL ALL AVAILABLE INDUSTRIAL SITES 189.04

E1 Motherwell Way, West ThurrockPlot: Marbella Site, Motherwell Way 0.16

E1 Tunnel Estate, West ThurrockPlot: Tunnel Building Products, Weston Avenue 2.83Plot: Tunnel Building Products, Weston Avenue 1.43Plot: Tunnel Building Products, Weston Avenue 0.21

Appendix 4

Summary Of Mineral Planning Guidance Notes

MPG2 Applications permissions and conditions.This note contains advice on handling planning applications for minerals development. It also includes advice on permitted development rights.

MPG3 Coal mining and colliery spoil disposal.Advice to ensure the best use of coal reserves and the disposal of colliery spoil is carried out is the most sustainable manner.

MPG4 Revocation, Modification, Discontinuance, Prohibition and Suspension Orders.This relates to the need for MPAs to review mineral permissions on a periodic basis and the rights to compensation that may arise.

MPG5 DRAFT - Stability in Minerals WorkingThe contents of this were reported to Environmental Services Committee in 1998. The guidance will cover issues of safety and land stability associated with mineral workings and tips.

MPG7 The reclamation of mineral workings.This MPG deals with the policies, consultations and conditions which are relevant to achieving effective reclamation of mineral workings.

MPG8 Interim Development Order permissions 1991.This relates to the permissions granted for mineral extraction between 1943 and 1948 and sets out the requirements for land owners to keep these permissions live.

MPG9 Interim Development Order permissions 1992.Provides guidance on determining new planning conditions for IDO permissions.

MPG10 Provision of raw material for the cement industry.This sets out Government advice for ensuring adequate supply of raw materials including chalk and clay.

MPG11 Control of noise at surface mineral workings.Sets specific standards for noise emitted by mineral workings.

MPG12 Treatment of disused mine openings and availability of information on mined ground.Relates to dealing with, and responsibilities for, disused mine openings.

MPG13 Guidelines for peat provision in England including the place of alternative materials.Sets out the current national picture and likely future demand.

MPG14 Review of Mineral Planning PermissionsThis provides detailed advice on the procedures for reviewing 'old' mineral permissions which may have very outdated planning conditions.

MPG15 Provision of silica sand in EnglandSimilar to the MPG's this provides advice on supply and demand.

APPENDIX 5

Environmental Stock Criteria And Indicators Of Positive Impact

GENERAL CRITERIA INDICATORS OF POSITIVE IMPACT

Global sustainability

Transport Energy: Efficiency - Tripsreducing trip length•reducing the no. of motorised trips•

Transport Energy: Efficiency - Modesincreasing public transport share•increasing attraction of walking and cycling•

Built Environment Energy - Efficiencyreducing heat loss from buildings•reducing capital energy requirements•increasing CHP potential•

Renewable Energy Potentialsafeguarding wind, water, wave and biomass potential

•

increasing direct solar gain•

Rate Of CO2 "Fixing"tree coverage•

Wildlife Habitatssafeguarding designated areas •

Sites of Special Scientific Interest◦Coastal Protection Belt◦Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation◦Areas of Local Nature conservation Significance

◦

Ecological Corridors◦

Natural Resources

Air Qualityreducing levels of pollutants•

Water Conservation And Qualitymaintaining ground water and river levels•safeguarding water supply purity•

Land And Soil Qualitysafeguarding soil quality and soil retention.•reducing contamination/dereliction•safeguarding good quality agricultural land (Grades 1 and 2)

•

Minerals Conservationreduce consumption of fossil fuels and minerals•increase reuse/recycling of materials•

Local Environmental Quality

Landscape And Open Landenhancing designated areas - Special Landscape Areas

•

enhancing general landscape quality - Landscapes of Local Importance

•

retaining countryside/open land•

Urban Environment Liveabilityenhancing townscape quality•increasing safety and sense of security•improving aural and olfactory environment•

Cultural Heritagesafeguarding listed buildings and conservation areas

•

safeguarding archaeological/geological value•

Public Access Open Spaceincreasing/maintaining quality and availability in urban and rural areas

•

Building Qualitymaintaining/improving the maintenance and continuous renewal of buildings

•

Scoping element

Conformity With The Government's Regional Planning Guidance For The South East Region 'Regional Planning Guidance for the South East'

RPG 9 (March 1994)•

'The Thames Gateway Planning Framework' RPG 9A (June 1995)

•

GENERAL CRITERIA INDICATORS OF POSITIVE IMPACT'Strategic Planning Guidance for the River Thames' RPG 9B (February 1997)

•

Safeguarding Of The Five Stated Purposes Of The Metropolitan Green Belt Checking the unrestricted sprawl of London;•

Preventing the coalescence of settlements;•Safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;•Preserving the setting and special character of historic towns;

•

Assisting in urban regeneration.•

Page InformationPublished On: 26 February 2004Published By: Regulation (Thurrock Council)

Documents

Unitary Development Plan Draft Issues Report Planning Services Strategic Planning Unitary Development Plan Draft Issues Report Environmental Services Directorate Town Planning Department