Local Plan Review: Preferred Approach 2016-2035

We agree that there is a requirement for development in Bosham to allow the settlement to perform strongly as a Service Village. The scale of development to secure that step-change in performance and infrastructure (i.e. highway improvements, school and other facilities) to mitigate harm and deliver tangible improvements.

Our view is that the Highgrove Farm allocation land will be unable to deliver that critical mass. We suggest that the Council should reconsider and look at land north of the train line for a genuinely strategic opportunity to meet longer term growth requirements and contribution to OAN over the Plan period.

We agree that Bosham is capable of accommodating further sustainable growth to enhance its role. However, we feel that the extent of growth which is necessary to secure a step-change improvement in Bosham's performance as a Service Village is unlikely to be achieved through the draft AL7 allocation. Significant infrastructure is necessary both by consequence of the proposal and to remedy existing deficiencies. The Council should give detailed consideration to opportunities for more substantial growth to meet Longer Term Growth Requirements and the critical mass of infrastructure which is needed. Land north of the railway line provides an ideal opportunity.

We support the proposed allocation for 1300 homes and other associated facilities and uses. We agree that there is a requirement for infrastructure (including wastewater and highways works).

We agree that there is an imperative to secure a strong design approach with good linkage to the existing village. The NP process represents one proposal for a spatial layout but it should not be construed to represent the optimal or unique solution to meet policy objectives. A requirement to adopt that layout will fundamentally hinder deliverability and the opportunity to realise the housing in the early part of the Plan period.

We note and endorse the approach wherein proposals for strategic development should be developed through consultation and iterative dialogue. There is no reference to a requirement that a given Masterplan should be adopted or incapable of review once agreed.

This pragmatic approach provides the best opportunity of responding to market signals to secure deliverable schemes and early contribution to the OAN. A comprehensive site-wide design strategy can be prepared and/or taken forward by developers. There should be no requirement for the LPA to manage delivery unless it is clearly evidenced that this is necessary to realise policy obectives.

Settlement boundaries can be redrawn in the light of exceptional circumstance during Plan Review. The strategic allocations proposed demonstrate that.

It is unclear how Policy S24 is being applied in respect of the AL site-based allocation proposals. The Settlement Boundary Review Background Paper provides no effective framework for the reconsideration of boundaries and what intrinsic sensitivity exists and capacity for change. Paragraph 5.42 refers to a study that would inform that analysis. That Study is necessary to inform this Preferred Approach consultation, and decisions on countryside boundaries should be delayed until this is available and can be subject of consultation.

It is noted that this policy makes reference to the existing settlement hierarchy. We also note that the proposed strategic allocations (such as AL14 and AL7) are identified to reinforce the roles of existing centres in their current position in the settlement hierarchy.

We would note that Plan paragraphs 4.30-4.33 (Longer Term Growth Requirements) may result in growth which would require reconsideration of the hierarchy. We would agree that this may not necessarily be a matter for this Local Plan period but the text should accommodate it if there was a preference to accelerate delivery within this Plan period.

Policy S5 is drafted to identify residual Parish requirements having regard for strategic allocations. If a strategic allocation were to fail to be delivered or would realise a lower yield, this mechanism would provide no opportunity to deliver those latent requirements in other sustainable locations within the Parish boundary.

This is a fatally flawed approach. The policy should be restructured to identify the Parish requirement (i.e. 1300 for Tangmere) and then say that this amount is proposed to be delivered on an allocation site. In the event that the allocation under-delivers, then consideration should be given to alternate locations.

We fully support the approach set out in regard to Longer Term Growth Requirements.

It is crucially important that the Council plans for strategic growth opportunities as early as is practicable, to ensure that they are deliverable and can fully provide infrastructure which is necessary (social, economic and environmental) to mitigate the impacts which would be created by the development itself but also to provide the opportunity to redress existing deficiencies and provide betterment more generally.

We have proposed the Broadbridge land which is comprised of a parcel north of the railway line and bounded by the A27, north of Bosham train station. This provides an exciting opportunity to deliver 3000 homes and associated uses in a highly accessible location close to a public transport hub with the critical mass to deliver significant improvements to the local highway network. The associated uses comprise employment, village parade, open space and specialist housing.

This will be underpinned by substantial infrastructure (green infrastructure, policy compliant affordable housing, transport infrastructure, schools, community facilities and habitat mitigation) which delivers a scheme that is very well considered and is demonstrably deliverable. The promoter is content for this to be expressly identified in the Local Plan Review as a Longer Term Growth Requirement. The promoter is also content to enter dialogue with the Council to review the proposal to shape it to meet local requirements but also potentially to consider how it might be accelerated to secure delivery within this Plan period.