New Local Plan - Issues & Options (Regulation 18)

30. Local Services and Infrastructure

30.1 Infrastructure planning is an essential part of the Local Plan process. To create sustainable communities we need to ensure development is supported by the necessary physical, social and green infrastructure. By 'infrastructure' we mean essential services and facilities such as schools, health, roads, water, gas, electricity and open space.

30.2 The provision of appropriate infrastructure is an important theme running through national policy. It requires effective and ongoing joint work with relevant bodies so additional infrastructure needs are understood, and local plans are required to set out the infrastructure needed to support the delivery of the Plan.

30.3 The new Local Plan should therefore consider the implications of growth and ensure social and other infrastructure is in place to support the needs of new residents. Large scale growth often has substantial and complex infrastructure requirements. It is therefore vital that the Local Plan adequately plans for this.

30.4 The Local Plan will need to identify sites in locations which have the ability to access existing infrastructure (where there is capacity) or provide additional infrastructure through new provision or expansion of existing facilities.

30.5 It is therefore important to understand what existing infrastructure is available, and whether it may need to be improved or extended to support new development. The Council will work with infrastructure partners to develop a clear understanding of what infrastructure capacity is available and what will be needed to support new development and use this information to develop an Infrastructure Delivery Plan to sit alongside the Local Plan. The Infrastructure Delivery Plan will be used to identify the type of infrastructure required, its cost, delivery agency, phasing and funding sources.

30.6 To ensure an appropriate range of infrastructure is available in a timely manner, we will carry out new viability testing of the policies and proposals in the plan to ensure the cumulative impact of policies, infrastructure requirements and development costs do not make development unviable.

30.7 The Plan may include policies to cover specific types of infrastructure such as water and wastewater, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), transport and open space. Policies relating to allocated sites may also contain site specific infrastructure requirements where appropriate.

30.8 We have identified the following potential approaches to local services and infrastructure:

Option A: Continue with current approach of seeking on-site provision and financial contributions to a wide range of infrastructure where new development requires the provision. It ensures that developments support a wide range of services and facilities (including health, education, policing, libraries and other forms of social infrastructure).

Option B: Prioritise infrastructure. This would help to prioritise scarce financial resources towards key infrastructure to be agreed as the Local Plan progresses. This could prioritise certain types of infrastructure helping to focus investment plans of other agencies and support funding bids.

Option C: Focus new development on areas where there is existing capacity or certainty about the delivery of infrastructure improvements. This would result in an infrastructure-led approach where development sites are chosen depending on the existing or potential supply of infrastructure.

Local Services and Infrastructure