Additional Consultation (January/February 2010)

Further consultation will run from 13 January to 10 February on the Site Allocation Development Plan Documents (DPDs). This consultation will gather local comment on proposed development in villages not previously included in Site Options Consultation in May/June 2009 (detailed below) and in a number of other settlements where new or revised development site proposals are emerging as a result of the community engagement previously undertaken. The aim is to identify the best and most sustainable sites for needed development of housing (especially affordable housing), employment and associated community facilities.

The consultation documents for the settlements affected by new or revised proposals are available here: Aveton Gifford, Avonwick, Diptford, Ermington, Kingsbridge, Marldon, Modbury, Salcombe, Stoke Fleming, Ugborough and West Alvington.

Comments are also being sought on development site proposals in Harbertonford due to an oversight in the mapping published for the May/June 2009 consultation.

Any comments may be made by email to the Forward Planning Team at forward.planning@southhams.gov.uk or in writing to South Hams District Council, Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes, TQ9 5NE by 5:00pm on 10 February 2010.

Site Options Consultation (May/June 2009)

The Council published a series of options consultation leaflets for its five Site Allocation Development Plan Documents (DPDs) for Dartmouth, Ivybridge, Kingsbridge, Totnes and the Rural Areas. These DPDs will build on the adopted LDF Core Strategy to identify sites for needed development of housing (especially affordable homes), employment and associated community facilities. The consultation looked at potential site options and ran throughout May and June 2009.

This consultation included a series of workshops facilitated by The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment and representatives from the community were invited to participate.

Leaflet	Title
1	Overview
2	The LDF Process
3	Establishing the Vision
4	The Method for Site Selection
5	Selecting Villages for Development
6	The Dartmouth Area (including Dartmouth Blackawton, Kingswear and Stoke Fleming) Site Maps, Site Comparison Matrix  (glossary)
7	The Ivybridge Area (including Ivybridge, Brixton, Holbeton, Modbury, Newton Ferrers, Ugborough, Yealmpton, and Wembury) Site Maps,  Site Comparison Matrix  (glossary)
8	The Kingsbridge Area (including Kingsbridge, Aveton Gifford, Chillington/Stokenham, Loddiswell, Malborough, Salcombe and Thurlestone) Site Maps,  Site Comparison Matrix  (glossary)
9	The Totnes Area (including Totnes, Dartington, Harbertonford, Marldon and Stoke Gabriel) Site Maps,  Site Comparison Matrix  (glossary)

Site Comparison Methodology: Please see this methodology for an explanation of the 4 site comparison matrices found in leaflets 6 to 9 above.

Evidence and process

To deliver the site allocation DPDs a robust process founded on clear evidence is required.  There are three main elements of the process:

• Sustainability Appraisal & Sustainability Threshold Assessment (STA) - The site allocation DPDs must be underpinned by sustainability appraisal (SA).  The Council has used a tool known as Sustainability Threshold Assessment (STA) to help in comparing potential development sites. The results of the STA are provided in the Site Comparison Matrices in leaflets 6 to 9 above.

Also available: Update to the Scope of the Sustainability Appraisal (Appendix 2: Updated Plans and Programmes Review, Appendix 3: Local Baseline Information)

Read more about South Hams LDF Sustainability Appraisal

• Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) - South Hams District Council has carried out a SHLAA jointly with West Devon Borough Council. Local Planning Authorities are required by the Government to undertake a SHLAA in order to help identify new sites for housing over 5, 10 and 15 year periods. The SHLAA is an essential part of the evidence base needed to inform Local Development Framework (LDF) documents and the consideration of future housing land allocations. The South Hams SHLAA was published in March 2009.

Read more about the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)

• A Strategic Infrastructure Delivery (SID) group – has been set up to map the availability of existing infrastructure and programme new infrastructure to support the new housing and employment sites. The SID group includes the district and county councils, primary care trust, police, and key government agencies and statutory undertakers.  Its aim is to coordinate infrastructure delivery programmes between partners and in relation to development proposals.

Taken together the SHLAA, STA, and SID processes will inform the choice of development sites in the five Site Allocation DPDs through an open assessment of their relative sustainability, their availability and the potential to provide necessary infrastructure.

Next steps

• Spring 2010 –Publication of the five Site Allocation Development Plan Documents (DPDs) for formal consultation over 6 weeks.
• Summer 2010 – Submission of the DPDs to government
• Autumn 2010 – Examination of the DPDs by a government inspector.
• Mid 2011 - Adoption (subject to a “sound” rating from the inspector).

Further details on the LDF project plan can be found in the Local Development Scheme which shows the timetable for the preparation of these Site Allocation DPDs and other documents.

Background documents

Totnes/Dartington Development Plan Document (DPD): Preferred Options (October 2007)

Rural Areas Development Plan Document (DPD) - Issues and Options Report (July 2007)

Area Action Plans/Site Specific Allocations: Issues, Options and Preferred Options report - "Town & Village" (October 2004). View the Town and Village document

Please click here to access the Interactive Maps which provide planning policy information for the South Hams.