Meeting documents

A2.1 The Local Plan is required to show how the housing requirement will be met. The Inspector has examined the sites allocated in the Local Plan and supports the Council's locational strategy and most of the allocated sites. However, the Inspector has concluded that some of the allocated sites will not deliver the anticipated housing within the Plan period ie by 2011. Of particular significance are Bath Western Riverside, Lower Bristol Road, MoD Foxhill in Bath and Radstock Railway Land. As a result of her assessment of allocated sites and the increased housing requirement, the Inspector has concluded that there will be a significant shortfall in the District's housing supply to 2011 of 1190 dwellings.

A2.2 If any of the Inspector's recommendations are not accepted, the Council must give robust and convincing reasons such as changed circumstances since the Local Plan Inquiry. A brief analysis of the Inspector's recommendations on these key sites is set out in paras 2.3 to 2.13 below.

A2.10 The Local Plan proposals for the town centre site at Radstock Railway Land reflect the Council's objectives for the regeneration of Radstock. The Local Plan proposes a mixed use scheme on the site which includes around 100 dwellings and at the Inquiry the Council accepted a greater dwelling capacity could be accommodated provided stated development requirements were met including a programme of ecological compensation and preparation and implementation of a management plan. The Inspector considers that part of the site has become overgrown and blends into the landscape. In her view this, along with its nature conservation interests, weighs against its status as previously developed land and the priority to be given to reuse. She considers development needs to be confined to areas which are not of significant ecological value. It is her view that until it is demonstrated that areas of significance to nature conservation can be safeguarded, the site be expected to accommodate no more than 50 dwellings in plan period. Any higher number would count towards the supply of housing land beyond 2011.

A2.11 The development of this mixed-use site is integral to the regeneration of Radstock and entails significant development costs. It is considered that the Inspector has adopted a precautionary approach in relation to housing provision on the basis of the need to resolve ecological issues. The Inspector indicates that 50 dwellings is not intended as an absolute limit on development capacity. Unmanaged, the site is likely to lose ecological value. Development at the site also needs to take into account the likely significant decontamination and environmental mitigation costs. As such, viability of development and the long term management of the site's assets is a significant factor. To expect no more than 50 houses within the Plan period is likely to prejudice regeneration objectives for Radstock and is likely to make the regeneration of the site economically unviable.

A2.12 The Council can seek to accommodate the inspector's concerns as far as possible but the regeneration objectives, including the viability of comprehensive development and site management, must be considered. Considerable further work is now underway on the emerging masterplan. Pending the results of this further work, it is proposed that the Local Plan should make an allowance within the Plan period for about 100 dwellings or upwards provided the site requirements are met.

A2.13 The inspector recommends an increase from 100 dwellings in the Local Plan to 150 on the south east part of the site. This accords with the recent planning permission and it is proposed that this recommendation should be accepted. (NB see also Appendix 3 for Inspector's further recommendations on the rest of the site).

Implications for Housing supply

A2.14 The proposed conclusions on the housing contributions of the allocated sites are summarised in the table below. In light of the responses set out in paras A2.3 to A2.13 above the shortfall in housing capacity for the Plan period is considered to be between 940 to 1090 dwellings (depending on BWR) as opposed to the 1190 dwellings considered by the Inspector.

RESPONSE 2: