Issue and Options 2023

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No

There is concern that too much of the plan is based on sites coming forward from opportunist developers, rather than a view of the district and what it should be like for residents and visitors. The plan is reactive rather than leading.

Stratford-upon-Avon Town Transport Group (TTG) Response to the South Warwickshire Local Plan: Issues and Options Consultation, January 2023 This submission is provided by the Stratford-upon-Avon Town Transport Group (TTG)i , in response to the South Warwickshire Local Plan: Issues and Options Consultation, January 2023. We note that the consultation includes 106 questions, and in this context are concerned that key messages maybe lost, and have therefore prepared this stand-alone response. This response considers 3 areas: 1. The Vision and Strategic Objectives 2. The Development of the Plan 3. Stratford-upon-Avon 2. The Development of the Plan The TTG consider there are three fundamental factors which should steer the Local Plan, and be taken into account in defining the locations of any new settlements or expansions of existing settlements. 1. Homes and Jobs – the location of housing in relation to employment. 2. Infrastructure Planning to unlock housing development, and not vice-versa. 3. A deliverable Transport Plan based around interconnectivity and complete journeys from origin to destination. Homes and Jobs The concept of the 20 minute neighbourhood, in terms of providing for residents basic local needs and hence reducing the need to travel and enhancing wellbeing is supported; as is the use of the concept as a criteria in comparing options.However, the number of jobs provided within a 20 minute neighbourhood will be significantly lower than will be required to support any new or expanded settlement, which are likely to be in the range of 1 to 2 jobs per home.It is suggested that an economic study, which looks at the spatial locations of these new and existing jobs, both within and outside the area of the Plan, is required as a major input to the analysis of locations for new housing. In the view of the TTG, this would be a key factor in assessing transport, working towards a cost-effective solution for families, and achieving net zero. Infrastructure Planning & Delivery The plan identifies that the infrastructure required for a new or expanded settlement takes several forms. It is accepted that some of these are not viable at the early stages of a development, however they should be planned at the outset. Key infrastructure such as transport should be financed and delivered in advance of the development to unlock the building of homes, as is done elsewhere in the UK. It is essential that both WCC as the transport authority and SDC/WDC commit to delivering the transport infrastructure at the outset, to avoid the issues that have plagued the Long Marston Garden Village, and to provide a transport framework to support the Local Plan through to 2050. The Plan and Sustainability Appraisal use the term Mitigate as a solution to lessen the impact of particular effects. In a number of cases, this term seems to have been used without a solution in mind, and in the TTG’s view, in several cases mitigation would not be possible, or would be economically unviable. In the TTG’s view, the focus should be on good planning including transport planning, which would deliver a comprehensive Local Plan, and therefore not need mitigation. The TTG’s view is that a new settlement has the potential to deliver the majority of the housing needs, with the minimum effect on the environment, and without detrimental effect on the character of existing settlements, providing the settlement is of sufficient size to attract investment, and that transport infrastructure is planned and installed at the outset. In order to achieve this it is suggested that a form of Development Corporation incorporating all tiers of local government and public sector investors, would deliver the best outcome. 3. Stratford-upon-Avon Regardless of the option considered, the outcome for Stratford is virtually identical in all cases. So from Stratford's perspective, there are no options in the Options Report. The TTG consider this a major flaw. The Plan does not address the outcomes it would deliver and how it would affect people and their quality of life. Specifically, would it mean more congestion, more car parks, less likelihood of pedestrianised and quiet areas, etc., etc. Would it mean that Stratford loses some of the character which makes it distinct? As described earlier, planning and transport, housing and employment, need to be agreed together, and should underpin the plan. Stratford-upon-Avon will inevitably attract commuters, and this will be compounded if Birmingham and Coventry overspill is required to be taken up. The completion of HS2, and the government levelling-up initiative will further increase the numbers relocating to jobs in Birmingham who may find Stratford-upon-Avon a desirable location to live. Has the plan taken into account the analysis of jobs and likely markets for new housing that have been done in this regard? The previous paragraph is a prime example of the issue raised earlier in terms of Homes and Jobs, and deserves a proper analysis of how “where people live and work” will impact South Warwickshire during the life of the Plan. This would appear to be a vital input to deciding whether to discourage development around Stratford on “net zero” grounds, or to plan for good commuter infrastructure (eg: improved rail as well as road). The supporting Sustainability Appraisal does not appear to consider where people will travel to, the volume of travellers, and the potential / viability of amendments to transport infrastructure required. Furthermore, it scores potential development sites based on issues such as distance from existing bus stops, without consideration of how easy it would be to change a bus route between now and 2050, and uses the word mitigation liberally, without consideration of the cost or practicality of transport infrastructure required in and around Stratford-upon-Avon. A specific example of where major infrastructure needs to be planned and financed, before locations can be unlocked for development, is land south of the River Avon. This applies both to the new settlement shown in all options and to any development on the edge of Stratford south of the river. The Clopton Bridge is now at capacity and studies have shown that it would not be able to accommodate the associated increase in traffic. Land in these areas should not be earmarked for development, even at a strategic level, without first addressing the viability and impact on residents of associated infrastructure which is likely to include extensive civil engineering.

Yes

1. The Vision and Strategic Objectives The TTG supports the Vision and Strategic Objectives given in Chapter 3:  A climate resilient and net zero carbon South Warwickshire  A well-designed and beautiful South Warwickshire  A healthy, safe, and inclusive South Warwickshire  A well-connected South Warwickshire  A biodiverse and environmentally resilient South Warwickshire However, none of these Objectives mention people. The document states that rephrasing has been done to make the Vision more people-focussed, but this is not apparent. The TTG believe an additional Objective should be added which captures the central requirement for the plan to improve the quality of life for those living and working in South Warwickshire, and that this should be the first Objective.

No answer given

Transport Plan A Transport Plan should be a key element of, and input to, the Local Plan. The Plan should consider people, their purpose and need to travel from a development and the consequent desire routes of people and freight. Locating settlements such that they have access to public transported is supported. However, the analysis in the Local Plan and Sustainability Assessment, of positioning new settlements on existing rail corridors, or near existing bus stops, and using these as a comparator of sites in a Plan that extends to 2050 is considered to be flawed, as it takes no account of the routes served by the rail corridor, the potential to re-route or add additional bus routes, or desired travel patterns. Considering growth options individually, and without considering people movement as a fundamental planning input to the options, as opposed to mitigation which in many instances could be economically unviable, is not supported. The connectivity analysis within the plan is noted, however this assesses connectivity within a conurbation only. As identified earlier, accessing the majority of employment will require travel outside of the settlement, therefore connectivity of the various transport modes (eg.transport hubs, delivery hubs), and future transport enhancements within the proposed timescale of 2050 should be considered, as well as more local active travel. It is suggested that the following should be considered:  Rail It is suggested that the potential travel patterns due to jobs and social activity should be overlaid on the current strategic rail routes to identify which locations can truly provide realistic travel times to the locations required, and any enhancements or modal connections that are required and should be built into the plan, to make the travel by rail attractive.  Road While the intent to eliminate combustion engines, and deliver climate improvements, will reduce or eliminate these types of vehicles by 2050, it is widely considered that “private” transport will continue to be a significant mode of travel. Future vehicles for people movement could be autonomous, driverless, or on-demand taxi equivalent, which could mean the ageing population which currently are unable to drive, take up this mode. There will also be continued need for freight and delivery to have easy access to and from market. These suggest that access to road-space will continue to be a significant factor in settlement location planning. It is suggested that access to strategic routes for cars and freight should be part of the analysis in determining locations for new or enhanced settlements. Overlaying travel patterns due to jobs and social activity would assist in identifying those locations which can provide realistic journey options. The plan below illustrates the strategic routes across South Warwickshire. It is noted that the A46 corridor is scheduled to be upgraded during the lifetime of the Local Plan, and therefore access to the A46, or M40 will provide access to longer distance locations in all directions in the future. Bus The establishment of a new or expanded settlement gives the opportunity to provide new bus routes or feeder systems to rail that would be economically viable. This approach to planning, which is dependent on the size, location, layout, and facilities in each location, is used extensively in other locations very effectively, particularly in Europe.

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