Chapter 2 - continued
Meeting Housing Needs
2.5.17 The key challenges of increased household growth and housing need are addressed in the strategy of the Plan. Two key targets are set out for additional housing (1997-2016). One for the total amount of housing , and the other for affordable housing. These targets were set following a detailed Boroughwide housing provision study examining just how much housing can be built in the Borough in this period. The Plan also contains a strategic policy for the Borough's Major Estates Regeneration Areas (MERAs), 20th century public housing estates suffering from severe structural and regeneration problems.
2.5.18 Finally a strategic policy is included encouraging urban sites around 'walkable neighbourhoods' (a walkable neighbourhood is that area within reasonable (600m) walking distance of a district or major town centre). Here, new housing can often do most to sustain the vitality of those centres and is where the need to travel can be minimised. The strategy involves a 'design-led' approach, appropriate to the character of the area, rather than one predetermined by density standards.
STR 18
The following additional dwelling units shall be provided (including from conversions and changes of use), subject to the maintenance of a quality environment:
(a) the development of a minimum of 9,600 additional overall dwelling completions between 1997 & 2016; and
(b) as part of the above the development of a minimum of 4,800 additional affordable dwelling completions between 1997 & 2016.
The progress of housing completions and permissions and their relationship to housing need will be closely monitored and adjustments to the housing provision levels will be proposed where necessary.
STR 19
New housing development should be located on sites which:
(a) Reduce the need for car travel; and
(b) Give preference to the development of previously used urban land;
(c) Provide acceptable residential amenity for existing and proposed residents; and
(d) Provide for necessary physical and community infrastructure (e.g., community facilities, school places) arising from the development. Housing density will be determined by the acceptability of the design of a scheme complimenting the character of an area in which it stands. More intense residential development will be encouraged, particularly within walkable neighbourhoods (areas within easy (600m) walking distance of a district centre or major town centre) and where the design is of an appropriately higher quality.
STR 20
Where suitable and practical, housing development on sites capable of accommodating 15 or more units, or 0.5 hectares or over, should include the maximum reasonable proportion of affordable housing consistent with the Plan’s affordable housing provision levels.
STR 21
Major Estate Regeneration Areas, notably South Kilburn, will be prioritised for comprehensive redevelopment or refurbishment as part of wider regeneration initiatives; including where appropriate linked off-site development.
STR 22
Housing will be permitted for those people with a need for supported housing in appropriate locations across the borough.
Meeting Employment Needs and Regenerating Industry and Business
2.5.19 The economic prosperity of the Borough and the availability of jobs depends to a large extent on land being available to accommodate a wide range of business, industrial and warehousing developments, to meet the accommodation needs of both existing and new employers, and on employment areas being attractive places for employers and employees. The Council will seek to ensure that land in the Borough that has long been regarded as a strategic resource for new industrial development in London continues to be available for that purpose.
STR 23
Strategic & Borough Employment Areas will be protected for industrial, business & warehouse use, for Brent and London as a whole.
STR 24
The regeneration of Strategic & Borough Employment Areas to meet the needs of industrial, business & warehouse users and improve the environment will be encouraged.
STR 25
Local Employment Sites will be protected for employment use unless the proposed development for alternative uses complies with detailed policies set down in the Plan.
STR 26
The development of business or technology parks will be encouraged and promoted on suitable sites defined within the Plan.
Regenerating Areas Important to London as a Whole
2.5.20 Two parts of the Borough are so important to London's economy that they have a concentration of proposals and special policies applying to them. These form 'insets' to the proposals map and inset plans in the text of the Plan itself. Park Royal is London's largest industrial estate. Park Royal Partnership is a business-led regeneration partnership and has had great success in attracting new investment into the area. The Wembley Regeneration Area comprises the area around the proposed National Stadium as well as Wembley town centre. This regeneration must have two essential strategic components. Firstly the quality of environment created around the Stadium must be of sufficient quality to act as the 'flagship' for London's bids for international sporting events. Secondly to reduce the current unacceptable traffic impact on local residents, especially if events are more frequent and new attractions are introduced, improved public transport links/services are necessary.
STR 27
The development of the English National Stadium at Wembley is supported and the regeneration of the Wembley area as a regional sport, entertainment and leisure destination, involving major improvements to the environment and infrastructure, is encouraged and promoted.
STR 28
The long term future role of the Park Royal estate as one of London's main industrial and business areas will be secured in partnership with all relevant parties.
Supporting Town & Local Centres
2.5.21 The Town Centres identified in the Plan serve wide catchment areas. In particular, Kilburn and Wembley, together with a number of centres across London, have been identified by LPAC as major centres of significance to London as a whole. Town Centres are the main locations for shopping and other services, cultural and entertainment facilities and, because of their convenience and accessibility, will be maintained as such. This requires the control of major out-of-town-centre developments which threaten their vitality and viability. It is also important, especially for the less mobile, that accessible local shopping facilities should be available throughout the Borough.
STR 29
Development should sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of the Borough's town and district centres. In particular, the role of Wembley and Kilburn as major centres within London will be supported.
STR 30
A widespread distribution of local shopping facilities and other local services will be maintained.
Promoting Tourism & the Arts
2.5.22 Tourism and arts, culture and entertainment facilities are playing an increasingly prominent economic role. The stadium complex is the Borough's premier visitor attraction and there is considerable potential to widen this with the development of the English National Stadium and associated regeneration. The arts will play a central role in this in helping to create vital and interesting places. There is also a need to increase hotel provision as part of the Londonwide London Tourist Board strategy to relieve pressure arising from the shortage of hotel rooms, especially in Central London.
STR 31
Existing arts, culture and entertainment facilities will be protected and new facilities will be promoted which comply with the locational requirements of the 'sequential approach' (Policy STR2).
STR 32
New visitor and hotel facilities will be permitted as part of a strategy to expand tourism outside Central London, particularly to the National Stadium Policy Area, as long as such facilities do not conflict with residential amenity and comply with the locational requirements of the 'sequential approach' (Policy STR2).
Protecting Open Space & Promoting Sport
2.5.23 The Council's policies are intended to preserve open spaces in the Borough, such as Metropolitan Open Land and Green Chains, that are important to London as a whole as well as to protect smaller open spaces and to create new ones where deficiencies exist. The Council will also protect those areas which have a nature conservation and wildlife value, including those whose significance extends beyond the Borough boundaries.
STR 33
Strategic open space, i.e. Metropolitan Open Land and Green Chains, will be protected from inappropriate development.
STR 34
In order to ensure the adequate provision of locally and strategically important sports facilities in North West London, development which leads to a loss of sports facilities will be refused, other than in those exceptional circumstances defined within the Plan where appropriate compensatory provision is secured.
STR 35
Improvements to the Borough's public open spaces and sports facilities will be promoted, especially in those areas with a deficiency of quality facilities.
STR 36
Sites which have a nature conservation value will be
protected and enhanced. The amenity value and needs of wildlife should be taken into account in the design and management of any development scheme.
Meeting Community Needs
2.5.24 In order to meet the general need for community facilities and the particular needs arising from the increasingly multi-cultural nature of the Borough's population, existing community facilities will be protected and new facilities will be encouraged.
STR 37
Accessible community facilities to meet the needs of the Borough, including its workers and multi-cultural population will be permitted, and the net loss of existing community facilities will be refused.
STR 38
Major regeneration proposals should include proper provision for community facilities to meet the needs of that area.
Treating Waste as a Resource
2.5.25 London faces a crisis in terms of how to deal with its waste. It's available landfill space is running out. Brent supports the London Pride Waste Action Plan which aims to treat waste as a resource. Its strategy is 'recycling led' aiming to dramatically increase recycling in the capital. Brent's policies aim to implement this and to introduce sustainable waste management. Two key components of this are treating waste in the best way environmentally (the waste management hierarchy) and as close to its source as possible (the proximity principle).
STR 39
In co-operation with other London boroughs and in support of the National Waste Strategy, a network of facilities for integrated waste management and associated regeneration in West London will be provided.
2.6 Towards a Borough of Sustainable Communities
2.6.1 Sustainable development implies that development which harms the quality of life will ultimately harm the economic development on which this depends. Those that suffer the worst quality of life are those suffering from social exclusion from poverty, unemployment, low educational achievement etc. This is reflected in the condition of much of the built environment.
2.6.2 Building sustainable communities means planning for mixed and balanced communities. It means development which is accessible to and benefits the whole community and which promotes social inclusion. Reducing the need to travel, especially by the private car, and ensuring that residents have access to jobs within easy distance of their homes are central to achieving sustainable development. As well as influencing the pattern of development sustainable development must increasingly influence the forms of development, buildings which use recycled materials, use renewable energy and make minimum demands on resources and infrastructure.
2.6.3 The revised Plan as a whole has been designed to achieve a more sustainable Borough and each policy has been subject to an 'environmental appraisal'.
2.7 Putting the Plan into Action
2.7.1 The Unitary Development Plan will only be a useful document, providing the certainty that is important to the local community and developers alike, if its policies are implemented, that is they are put into practice.
2.7.2 The main way in which the Plan will be put into practice will be through development control decisions. For this reason it is important that the Plan is frequently monitored and kept up to date. The next section deals with this issue. In law good reasons are necessary to determine a planning application contrary to the Plan. Brent's planning code of practice requires such reasons to be publicly given.
2.7.3 Brent Council is not just waiting for these alone to implement the Plan and is taking a series of more positive measures, including:
1 Estate Regeneration. Working in partnership with the housing department, local residents and others to help draw up regeneration plans (more than just housing) for redeveloping Brent's run down post- war estates;
2 Development Briefs. Providing planning briefs with urban design frameworks for all major development sites;
3 Town Centre Regeneration and Management. Assessing the health of each of Brent's town centres, working with local residents and traders with the aim of achieving a corporate approach to town centre management and town centre regeneration programmes for the two major town centres;
4 Industrial Regeneration and Inward Investment. Working with bodies such as West London Inward and Park Royal Partnership to provide potential inward investors with up to date site information. Proactive work to improve industrial areas such as compulsorily purchasing land. Environmental improvements on partnership with local businesses;
5 Integrated Transport. Work to implement the aims of the Integrated Transport white Paper including partnerships with bus and rail operators, a Borough wide on-street parking strategy with planning powers used to bring it forward, providing a new tub-station/interchange at Park Royal and work to upgrade/provide interchange facilities for the three stations serving the National Stadium;
6 Housing Development. Working closely with housing associations to increase affordable housing provision, and working jointly with them to identify and assess sites for the National Land Use Database which identifies brownfield sites;
7 Open Space and Waterway Regeneration. Positive action to provide viable long term management plans for each of the borough's major open spaces and sports facilities. Restoration programme for the River Brent and design and development of local open spaces and other environmental improvements;
8 Education and Community Facilities. Ensuring that all Brent pupils have the opportunity of a decent school place through assessing the shortage of places and provide funding through planning obligations to meet the shortfall. Working with religious organisations to ensure all major Brent religions have worship space and opportunities for school premises;
9 Area Consultative Forums. To give the local community a full voice in the planning and other local government priorities in an area;
10 Wembley/The National Stadium. Providing a positive planning framework for this National project through a planning brief. Working with the land-owners in the area to ensure comprehensive regeneration of its surroundings;
11 Conservation. Rolling programme of providing design guides and special controls in the Borough’s conservation areas, working closely with residents associations.
12 Enforcement. Proactive 'polluter pays' approach to enforcement including direct action.
2.7.4 Brent is developing a Planning Obligations Strategy. This will help ensure that developments compensates for any harmful impact and, where appropriate, benefits the wider community, by ensuring that corporate objectives are secured. Planning obligations will be sought and secured strictly by the requirements of the law and national policy. The strategy prioritises infrastructure that needs to be upgraded to support development.
2.7.5 The implementation measures necessary to carry this out will be published in an annual Brent UDP Action Plan, included as part of the Planning Service Annual report.
2.8 Keeping the plan up-to-date
2.8.1 Monitoring the key planning and population changes in the Borough is crucial in keeping the Plan up-to-date.
2.8.2 A number of strategic policies contain key targets that need to be met, including on housing completed, the proportion of housing provided on previously developed land, and the level of traffic reduction. Monitoring of these targets will be the main priority.
2.8.3 Monitoring of certain criteria can act as Sustainability Indicators.
"Sustainability Indicators are a tool by which:
• To track progress
• To measure it
• To lead to the selection of active choices and changes in practice facilitate a more sustainable form of development." (LGMB 1994)
2.8.4 These indicators exist at national, regional and local levels. The Government has published a series of headline indicators to monitor progress on the national sustainable development strategy, including the proportion of housing built on previously developed land. The GLA also monitors environmental indicators. Brent can make use of these for local purposes and many sustainability indicators will overlap with the key targets of the Plan. The sustainability appraisal of the Plan contains a series of indicators. A selection of these are highlighted as ‘headline’ indicators - bellwhether tests of progress. These are listed under the 10 key objectives of the Plan. The timescale and level of many of the targets reflect national/Londonwide targets.
2.8.5 The proposed headline indicators of the Plan are as follows:
| Indicator by Objective | Target |
|---|---|
Prioritising Locations and Land-uses to achieve sustainable development |
|
| % of retail/leisure floorspace approved in areas of very good/good/moderate public transport accessibility | 90% 2000-2010 |
Reducing the Need to Travel |
|
| Traffic Reduction | 10% 1997-2008 |
Protecting and Enhancing the Environment |
|
| Days when air pollution is moderate or high | National Air Quality Strategy Targets |
| New Development attaining ‘Secured by Design’ standards | Net Increase |
| Reduction in areas of low townscape quality | 10% 2000-2010 |
Meeting Housing Need |
|
| % of housing built on previously developed land | 95% 2000-2010 |
| Number of dwelling completions | 9,600 1997-2016 |
| Number of affordable dwelling completions | 4,800 1997-2016 |
Meeting Employment Needs and Regenerating Industry and Business |
|
| Land in employment use in Strategic and Borough Employment Areas | No net loss 2000-2010 |
| Area of derelict land | 25% reduction by 2008 |
Regenerating Areas of Importance to London as a Whole |
|
| Area of land redeveloped in Wembley and Park Royal | 20Ha by 2010 |
Supporting Town and Local Centres |
|
| Vacant Floorspace in Primary Shopping Frontages | National Average by 2010 |
| % new retail/leisure floorspace developed in/adjoining town centres | 90% 2000-2010 |
Promoting Tourism and the Arts |
|
| Hotel beds | 50% increase 2000-2010 |
Protecting Open Space and Promoting Sport |
|
| Land in active sports pitch use | No net decrease 2000-2010 |
Meeting Community Needs |
|
| Net change in floorspace in D1 use | No net loss 2000-2010 |
Treating Waste as a Resource |
|
| Land lost to non-waste use in waste/management manufacturing areas | No net loss 2000-2010 |
2.8.6 The annual UDP Action Plan will publish the latest Borough monitoring information and the achievement of the Plan's key targets. The Borough constantly monitors planning permissions given and developments completed as part of the London Development Monitoring System. The Borough also monitors vacant previously developed land and buildings, and other previously land with development potential, as part of the National Land Use Database. The Borough also carries out regular surveys of shop uses and vacancies and periodic town centre health checks (see Town Centres and Shopping Chapter), as well as studies of industrial land availability. Summaries of these will be included in the annual report. Overall assessment will be made for each of the 10 strategic objectives of the Plan as to whether development permitted/completed is in line with, or contrary to, these objectives.
2.8.7 The publication of the Mayors new strategic plan for London will require an early review of this Plan. Work for this will be carried out alongside the Greater London Authority’s work on this and will be published as soon as possible after the Mayor's plan is published.
