This document will show all the major sites, which aren't included within the Area Action Plans, that might be required to meet Plymouth's needs for homes, jobs, shopping, recreation as well as gypsy and traveller sites, as outlined in the Core Strategy. This document is important as it will cover every neighbourhood in the city.
As well as looking at the citywide perspective, it will also include:
- Suggestions to guide development that will address the needs of local communities
- Identify areas that need protection to ensure that development will be resisted or carefully controlled where appropriate
Where we are
Consultation leaflets were prepared for each of the neighbourhoods across the city. These highlighted issues that were raised in relation to Plymouth's neighbourhoods and also set out suggested key principles which could be used to help guide future changes.
A consultation was run from 16 February until 30 March 2011.
A large number of comments were received throughout this consultation and these will be taken into account during the next stage of preparation of the document.
We've now viewed all of the comments individually and have published documents which summarise the comments received for each neighbourhood. You can view these leaflets along with the comments that were made on the issues and preferred options section.
Below are the replies that weren't received through the consultation portal:
We've started producing a Sustainable Neighbourhoods Development Plan Document. This will be a document which sets out how communities and neighbourhoods across Plymouth will change and improve over the next 15 years. It will show how the needs of communities will be met, and will suggest sites for development to assist in meeting those needs.
We need your views. We need facts and observations, as well as opinions and ideas, so that we can work together to agree plans on how to make a better future for your neighbourhood. We want to work with you to evolve a plan for your neighbourhood that highlights what needs to be done over the next 15 years to improve your quality of life, both within your community, as well as for the city as a whole.
This is the first stage in a consultation process - the issues and options stage for preparing this document. You can get involved, and make your comments heard, by taking part in events in your area, commenting online or writing to us.
In preparing Plymouth's Local Development Framework there are a number of studies that have been undertaken that provide the evidence base. The following documents form the evidence base for the Sustainable Neighbourhood Development Plan Document.
Sustainable Neighbourhoods Assessments
South West Regional Spatial Strategy
Sports Development Strategy
Draft Revised Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West
Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment
Student Housing in Local Communities Report
Local Economic Strategy Review
In 2008 we asked people across the city about the neighbourhoods where they live, work and play. After listening to what you were saying, and talking to a range of people, we produced a rough plan for what could happen in each neighbourhood in the city.
This information was the subject of a six-week public consultation which ended on Wednesday 30 March 2011.
What happens next
A large number of comments were received throughout this consultation and these will be taken into account during the next stage of preparation of this document.
We've now viewed all of the comments individually and the comments (with summary) can be viewed in the lists below. Some of the documents contain links to other documents, some of which are of a large size and may take time to load.
The following leaflet is an overall guide to the consultation:
Please refer to the text boxes on each map for a full explanation to symbols.
Consultation statement
Stoke, Morice Town, Ford and Keyham consultation event was held on 17 February 2011 at Stoke Library
Crownhill, Eggbuckland, Higher Compton and Hartley and Mannamead consultation event was held on 23 February 2011 at Crownhill Library
Woodford, Yealmpstone, Plympton St Maurice, Chaddlewood and Colebrook and Newnham consultation event was held on 23 February 2011 at Plympton Library
Yealmpstone neighbourhood consultation replies: no representations were received
Widewell, Glenholt, Estover, Leigham, Mainstone and Derriford consultation event was held on 7 March 2011 at Estover Library
North Prospect, Ham and Beacon Park and Pennycross consultation event was held on 9 March 2011 at North Prospect (old primary school)
Ernesettle, Whitleigh, Honicknowle, Manadon, Tamerton Foliot and Southway consultation event was held on 14 March 2011 at West Park Library
Barne Barton, St Budeaux, Kings Tamerton and Weston Mill consultation event was held on 15 March 2011 at St Budeaux Library
Plymstock, Elburton, Goosewell, Turnchapel and Hooe and Oreston consultation event was held on 23 March 2011 at Plymstock Library
Peverell, Mutley and Greenbank, Mount Gould, Efford and Lipson and Laira consultation event was held on 29 March 2011 at Efford Library
Efford neighbourhood consultation replies [PDF, 128KB]
Consultation replies received which relate to the city as a whole
In preparing Plymouth's Local Development Framework there are a number of studies that have been undertaken and those relating to this document that can be viewed on the evidence base page.
What's happening
There's been a year long consultation looking at how each neighbourhood in Plymouth could become a more sustainable linked community over the next 15 years. Find out which neighbourhood you live in by looking at the map below:
For each neighbourhood there were three stages to discuss the issues and options in the area:
- Your local Councillors planned a walk around your area and showed key people from the Council and/or other organisations the main issues and opportunities in your area
- A group of local representatives spent a day looking at your area in detail and suggesting information and ideas
- An exhibition was open for a week for anyone in the community and across the city to come along and comment on the information and ideas collected so far, suggest changes or add more details
You can contribute at any time by adding your views to the bulletin board for your area, these are updated with the key issues identified by the consultation when appropriate.
At the beginning of July, anyone in the city will be able to view all the details and ideas collected, before the Council moves on to process this information and develop a draft plan using the ideas and suggestions.
The aim is to:
- work with communities and partners to access knowledge and understanding about Plymouth, and ensure this feeds into the Local Development Framework and other strategic work in the city
- ensure that a wide range of people have an opportunity to be involved and put forward their views and ideas for how their neighbourhood may change in the future
- assess the accuracy of the Sustainable Neighbourhood Assessments and make amendments as needed like a planning audit of your area
- highlight sites that should be safeguarded from development and identify potential new sites that may be developed or change use over the next 15 years
- identify what each community needs to make it more sustainable and how this could happen
- increase awareness of the Local Development Framework and its role in creating sustainable linked communities
The BIG Picture
The BIG Picture was a show case and final chance to add and view comments made during the year long Your Place, Your Future consultation programme.
Events included a public event for anyone to come and see the results and ask questions, a meeting of local councillors, a meeting of Council officers and other organisations including a separate event for architects and developers.
Comments which have been made so far can be viewed on the relevant Sustainable Neighbourhood Assessments pages. The responses are now being analysed and are expected to be published in November 2008.
We've a duty to provide official sites to accommodate gypsies and travellers. An independent assessment has identified the need for 15 transit and 40 residential pitches in Plymouth. In the last year there have been 25 unauthorised encampments, causing a variety of problems and strain on public budgets. This illustrates the problems caused by the shortage of authorised sites.
A report to Cabinet stated that three new gypsy and traveller sites are needed to meet the city's need for 50 pitches and help prevent the increasing number of illegal encampments.
Last year there were 40 illegal encampments in Plymouth, compared to an average of between 20 and 25 a year in previous years, some of which caused significant problems for local residents as well as costing us up to £300,000 a year in clean up costs.
Cabinet will hear that Plymouth has a clearly identified need for 50 gypsy and traveller pitches, which is set out in the Core Strategy, and that Government national policy guidance is encouraging councils to meet needs where they have been identified.
The report stated that emerging national policies will mean that not providing sites will make it more likely that councils will lose planning appeals when gypsy and traveller sites are set up on private land.
An extensive public consultation identified around 50 potential official sites in the city and these have now been evaluated. Identifying the three most suitable sites will provide local communities clarity about the future of the other sites, as they can then be ruled out.
Cabinet is to be asked to support in principle the identification of the following sites:
- 15 permanent pitches in Mowhay Road, St Budeaux (east of by pass) and 15 permanent pitches (west of by pass), the site was suggested by a landowner during the public consultation
- 10 permanent pitches at Military Road, Efford (owned by Plymouth City Council), this site already has planning permission for a gypsy and traveller site but plans for a 15 pitch site did not go ahead two years ago as a bid for Government funding was not successful
- 15 transit pitches at Broadley Park in Roborough (in the South Hams but on land owned by Plymouth City Council)
While the Military Road site has planning permission, no grant funding has been secured to build it. The aim will be attract private sector interest in investing and managing sites, as other councils have successfully done.
Councillor Ted Fry, Cabinet member for Planning, Strategic Housing and Economic Development, said: "Dealing with gypsy and traveller sites is always going to be a controversial and sensitive issue, but it is an issue that is affecting more and more neighbourhoods. Last year we had an unprecedented number of unauthorised encampments and the costs of clearing these is rising significantly.
"By taking a strategic and proactive approach we will be able to meet the needs of gypsies and travellers in a planned way and avoid haphazard developments and encampment. Emerging guidance indicates that planning appeals on unauthorised developments are more likely to succeed in areas where sites have not been provided.
"By identifying these sites we are also able to remove the uncertainty about most of the 50 or so sites identified as possible locations in Plymouth."
Previous consultation
This document will set out how sites in Plymouth could change over the next 15 years. This includes sites for houses, shops, offices and parks, as well as gypsy and traveller sites. This is one of a number of documents that together are known as the Local Development Framework (LDF). Sites included in the Local Development Framework still need to put in a formal planning application when they are ready to progress.
Cabinet discussed these sites on 20 January 2009. Consultation took place between 31 March 2009 and 12 May 2009 to find suitable sites for gypsies and travellers. We consulted on two sites, one in St Budeaux and one in Plympton. 622 comments were received from 422 individual people or organisations.
You can view the report, which includes a list of all the sites considered, below: