Chapter 2
Strategic Context

'Sefton 2000+' and the Initial Stages of Plan Preparation

2.1 An important focus of the Sefton 2000+ consultation document was the strategic land use issues and choices that would need to be addressed in the new Plan. The central questions were

 

• How much development should take place in Sefton to meet strategic and local needs over the next 10-15 years?

   

• How best to provide for this to meet the objectives of sustainable development and urban regeneration?

   

• Does the Green Belt need to be changed to meet future needs? In particular, should land be removed from the Green Belt and safeguarded to meet possible long term economic development needs?

   

2.2 The consultation document identified the provision of land to meet the Borough's housing and economic development needs as key issues. The capacity for additional house building within the urban areas of the Borough was estimated to be broadly equal to the projected need up to 2016. However, allowing for the uncertainties of long-term projections, in the worst case a significant gap could open up between housing capacity and need. On economic development, it was concluded that by 2011 there could be a shortage of strategic investment sites and, in the North of the Borough, sites to meet the needs of local businesses. These issues, and the most appropriate long-term strategy for addressing them, was an important focus of the consultation.

 

'Sefton 2000+' Strategy Proposals and Options

• To continue with current policies to encourage modest intensification of housing development in existing residential areas.

   

• To pursue measures to realise the potential supply of 'brownfield' sites and conversions of existing buildings.

   

• To consider locations (to the east of Southport and to the east of Maghull) where land could be removed from the Green Belt and safeguarded to meet long-term economic development needs, but not to be allocated or released before the next Plan Review.

   

• To make no provision for the release of land from the Green Belt for housing.

   

• To consider options for dealing with a 'worst case' gap between housing need and capacity in the long term.

   

2.3 In the twelve months following the publication of Sefton 2000+ these issues were the subject of public consultation and further consideration by the Council. The outcome was that:

 

• there was support for the new Plan’s proposed aims and objectives

   

• the justification for removing a site from the Green Belt to the east of Maghull to meet strategic economic development needs was not considered sufficiently strong to overcome public objection.

   

• with that exception, the Preferred Strategy was agreed as the basis for developing the Plan.

   

• a detailed study was to be undertaken to test the development potential of the proposed economic development site in the Green Belt to the east of Southport. In the event, the study concluded that it would cost too much to develop the site because of poor ground conditions and difficulties with access. It was agreed that the proposal was not feasible and should not be pursued further.

   

2.4 A key conclusion from this initial stage of the process was, therefore, that the Green Belt should remain unchanged and that the objective of future planning strategy should be to meet development needs by re-using land and buildings within the existing urban areas. However, it was also recognised that the review of Regional Planning Guidance, which was then just commencing, would set out a regional and Merseyside strategic framework for the timing of Green Belt reviews.

 

2.5 The subsequent development of the Plan strategy has taken into account the significant progress in regional planning and other national and local policy developments.

 

Regional Context
Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West & Regional Economic Strategy

2.6 Part 1 of the Plan must have regard to the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) prepared by the North West Regional Assembly and approved by the Secretary of State. This was approved in 2003 as Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) but became RSS in September 2004 under the new planning system. The RSS sets out a framework for the preparation of Development Plans by the North West's local authorities up to 2021. The draft RSS (“The North West Plan”) was submitted to the Secretary of State in January 2006 and it is anticipated that a replacement RSS will be approved in 2007.

 

2.7 The overriding aim of the RSS is to "promote sustainable patterns of development and physical change". The strategy is expressed through a number of core development principles and a spatial development framework which establishes guidelines for the regional distribution of development and allocation of resources. The planning strategy is supported by the Regional Transport Strategy incorporated in the RSS. Further references to the RSS policies and targets are included in the explanation of policies in the rest of the Plan¹. Throughout this plan regional guidance is referred to as RSS despite much of the plan being prepared under the old system of RPG.

 

2.8 In June 2000 the North West Development Agency (NWDA) published its Regional Economic Strategy which has provided the economic context for this Plan. The Regional Economic Strategy has been updated on several occasions, most recently in 2006, but the broad priorities remain valid. The Strategy sets out the region’s priorities for economic development and regeneration, and the NWDA uses it to prioritise its £500 million annual budget.

 

2.9 The spatial policy aspects of the Regional Economic Strategy are incorporated in the RSS. The following aspects are of particular significance for the Plan:

 

• Potential sectors of economic growth sectors are identified. These, together with established sectors of regional significance, are the focus for targeted action. Reference to relevant sectors is included in the explanation to the policies in Chapter 5, ‘Economic Development and Tourism’.

   

• A portfolio of 25 existing and potential Regional Inward Investment Sites has been identified to meet the needs of these economic sectors.

   

• The Region's metropolitan areas will be the focus for targeted, co-ordinated regeneration programmes.

   

• Revitalisation of the coastal resorts is a high priority.

   

• Tackling the problems of low housing demand and poor quality housing is a major priority, particularly in the metropolitan core areas, and will include clearance programmes if improvement is not viable.

   

• The pivotal economic role of the Port of Liverpool is recognised, in particular finding sustainable solutions to improve strategic transport access and accommodate growth related to the Port.

   

EU Regional Policy

2.10 The significance of Sefton's maritime location, including the regionally important Port gateway, coastal habitats and tourism, has been recognised in EU regional planning and development initiatives. In particular, the Port has been identified as an important hub in the North European Trade Axis (NETA) linking Ireland to the North West, the Humber ports and northern Europe. This has influenced the development of land use, transport and coastal planning policies for Merseyside and Sefton.

 

Merseyside Context

2.11 RSS emphasises the importance of the Merseyside authorities working together using a consistent approach in implementing and monitoring the planning, housing and transport strategies for the metropolitan area. There is already a strong foundation for this and four documents were of particular significance in setting the context for this Plan.

 

2.12 Merseyside Local Transport Plan (LTP): The LTP is a statutory plan prepared and agreed jointly by the five metropolitan councils and Merseytravel. The second LTP was approved in 2005 and sets the transport strategy for Merseyside for the period 2006-2011. This is the basis on which Government funding is allocated and it influences the investment programmes of the major providers of transport infrastructure. The LTP has been further endorsed in the Government's identification of Merseyside as a ‘Centre of Excellence for Integrated Transport Planning’. Like the UDP, the LTP strategy and programme have as a core objective the promotion of sustainable development. This integration of land use and transport planning has played an important part in shaping the strategy and policies of this Plan.

 

2.13 Merseyside Objective 1 Single Programming Document (SPD) 2000-2006: The Objective 1G SPD sets out the strategy and programme areas which will guide the allocation of £808 million of EU funding for Merseyside. In particular it will direct major funds for the regeneration of defined priority areas within Merseyside. Details of these areas and the implications for the Plan are included in Chapter 4 'Urban Priority Areas'.

 

2.14 Action Plan for the City Region 2002-2005: The Action Plan was agreed by The Mersey Partnership in October 2001. Its purpose is to identify the region's major economic development priorities and to help shape the medium-term investment strategy of the North West Development Agency. Building on Regional Economic Strategy and the Objective 1 Strategic Investment Area programme, the Action Plan identifies the Mersey Waterfront Regional Park as a key regeneration priority. The Mersey Waterfront Park will embrace the Coastal Planning Zone, including Southport Seafront. The key themes of the Action Plan have been integrated into a new Liverpool City Region Development Plan published in 2005 in response to the Government’s “Northern Way” initiative.

 

2.15 Merseyside Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder – New Heartlands Prospectus: In 2002 the Government announced major steps to tackle housing abandonment and run down housing areas with the launch of the housing market renewal initiative and the designation of 9 pathfinder areas which were selected on the basis of the prevalence of low demand. South Sefton was included as part of the Merseyside Pathfinder along with the inner core of Liverpool and inner Wirral because of the severity of weak housing markets. The New Heartlands Prospectus will combine each authority’s Strategic Integrated Investment Frameworks (SIIF) and establish the pathfinder wide investment framework, delivery and funding plan.

 

2.16 These plans highlight some key links between Sefton and other parts of the conurbation which have influenced Sefton's planning strategy. In particular:

 

• The Port of Liverpool, and the cluster of industries related to it, has a strategic influence both physically and economically across Merseyside. Together with the other Mersey ports it is an economic and transport gateway of regional and national importance.

   

• The environmental, ecological and recreational importance of the Irish Sea coast and Mersey Estuary has been recognised by Sefton and the other coastal authorities in developing a common approach to planning and management within the Coastal Planning Zone. In particular, Southport Seafront is recognised as a major tourism and leisure opportunity area within the coastal zone and the Mersey Waterfront Park.

   

• There are major economic links with the conurbation core and Liverpool City Centre, reflected in the volume of travel across the boundaries to work, for shopping and leisure. This has an influence on policies for town centres and transport.

   

• Housing markets cross local authority boundaries, as revealed by local migration statistics. This has to be taken into account in policies for new house building and the renewal of existing homes.

   

• The land use planning implications of managing waste must be addressed at the regional and Merseyside level.

   

The main features of the North West and Merseyside planning context are illustrated in Figure 2.1

 

 

Regeneration Initiatives

2.17 In addition to the EU Objective 1 programme referred to above, a number of regeneration initiatives are under way which will have a significant impact on the pattern of development in Sefton in the short and medium term. These include Single Regeneration Budget (SRB)G and Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) programmes targeted on the most deprived areas, mainly in the south of the Borough. Most of the current programmes run until 2007, and the North West Development Agency will play a key role in shaping future programmes.

 

2.18 Housing renewal in the South of the Borough must be integrated within a wider regeneration, economic and planning framework. The South Sefton Regeneration Strategy, published in May 2003, provides this framework for both public and private investment. It provides the strategic regeneration direction for South Sefton over the next 15-20 years and includes proposals for comprehensive urban renewal and restructuring. The strategy informs the South Sefton input to the Merseyside Pathfinder “New Heartlands” Prospectus.

 

2.19 A key objective of the South Sefton Regeneration Strategy is to ensure that investment in housing areas is co-ordinated with improvements to local retail and community facilities, open space, transport, education, health and employment opportunities. The framework is sufficiently flexible to ensure that it can respond to market conditions and community aspirations.

 

2.20 The Plan has an important role to play in supporting the implementation of the existing programmes and influencing future regeneration initiatives. This is expanded in Chapter 4 ‘Urban Priority Areas’ and the other chapters in Section B of the Plan. The key policies and proposals arising from the South Sefton Regeneration Strategy are set out in Chapter 6 ‘Housing and Neighbourhood Renewal’.

 

Conclusion

2.21 The starting point for the development of the Plan's strategy was the 'Sefton 2000+' consultation document, as described in paragraphs 2.1 - 2.5. Whilst the overall aims and many of the issues considered in that document remain valid, the subsequent developments described in this chapter have influenced the Plan's strategy in the following important ways:

 

• Major new resources for economic development and regeneration, including the creation of the North West Development Agency, have significantly reduced the risk that insufficient suitable sites will be brought forward to meet long-term economic development requirements. This is confirmed by RSS.

   

• RSS makes it clear that, at least until the preparation of the Core Strategy as part of the Local Development Framework, housing requirements should be met by realising the existing and potential capacity within the urban areas of the Borough. This has been reinforced by the Housing Market Renewal Initiative.

   

• RSS proposes that the need, if any, for substantial change to the Merseyside Green Belt should be established through a sub-regional study, the results of which will be incorporated in future reviews of RSS and the Core Strategy.

   

¹ The approved RSS, from 2003.

 

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