Response from Mr Lee Tracey (Individual)
1. Mr Lee Tracey (Individual) : 30 May 2008 15:09:00
To which part of the Report does your representation relate?
Paragraph or Section
The Preferred Option - PO12 - Ulverston Functional Area 2025
Please state as clearly as you can the exact part of the Report you are commenting on by quoting the page number (if known), paragraph number, option name or number, or the number of the map, figure or table.
Specifically Proposal 1 of PO12 and figure 24 on pages 144 and 145
Do you support, oppose or have an observation about this part of the Report?
Oppose
Please write your comment or explain your reasons for supporting or opposing this part of the Report. You may also wish to refer to the tests of soundess in the glossary of the Preferred Options document before making your comments.
PO12 proposes housing development on agricultural land and recreational land (see figure 24) this is inconsistent with PO7 which states that
‘The Core Strategy will seek to:
1. Protect the countryside from inappropriate development whilst supporting its positive use for agriculture, recreation, biodiversity, health, education and tourism.’
As a result this part of the Core strategy fails the ‘coherence’ test of soundness.
Secondly, PO12 Proposal 1 (page 144) is not supported by the evidence base. Whilst South Lakeland has been identified as having a requirement for additional affordable housing, the case for that development to occur in Ulverston is less clear. The South Lakeland Housing Needs and Market Assessment (HNMA) Final Report identifies Ulverston as having the lowest number of people moving away due to lack of affordable housing in the South Lakeland area at just 2.6% of the current population (page 142). Additionally, page 123 of the report states that the market is ‘reasonably balanced’ and that ‘Ulverston and Furness is one of the most affordable housing markets in South Lakeland’ (page 124)
Page 99 paragraph 5.70 of the HNMA recommends that the ‘council continues to work closely with neighbouring councils … to develop a consistent approach to affordable housing provision across the sub region through the Cumbria Housing Strategy’. Additionally, the Core Strategy Preferred Options document recognises (through previous consultation) the ‘symbiotic relationship between Barrow and Ulverston’ (page 23). Barrow has a good supply of affordable housing.
By not addressing these aspects of the evidence base this part of the Core Strategy Preferred Options document fails the ‘founding on robust evidence’ and the ‘coherence’ tests of soundness.
What change(s) would you suggest for this part of the Report?
Deletion