IMPLEMENTATION
8.1 The District Council places great emphasis on ensuring that the policies
and proposals of this Plan are practical and capable of implementation
during the Plan period. This can only occur with the co-operation and
involvement of a number of agencies, although the major role will be undertaken
by the District Council itself.
8.2 There are, therefore, three important aspects of implementation,
which are:
(i) the agencies responsible;
(ii) the methods to be used for implementation by the District Council;
(iii) monitoring and review.
AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE
8.3 The following paragraphs list the agencies responsible for implementing
the Plan. This list is not exhaustive in terms of the agencies involved,
or their respective responsibilities. It only deals with their powers
as they affect or influence the implementation of this Plan.
8.4 It should be emphasised that the District Council has no power to
influence other agencies' actions which will be governed by that agency's
own priorities and resources. The District Council will, however, seek
to encourage those agencies to implement the Plan, which will act as a
framework to aid them in programming their investment priorities.
SUFFOLK COASTAL DISTRICT COUNCIL
8.5 In addition to its responsibilities as Planning Authority dealing
with applications for planning permission, listed building consent, advertisement
consent, etc, the District Council has responsibility as a Housing Authority,
promotes Recreation and Tourism, implements a variety of Conservation
schemes, encourages new employment, and is a landowner.
8.6 However, it is as a Planning Authority that the Council will take
the greater role in the implementation of this Plan through the following:
(i) the determining of planning applications with regard being paid
to:
- the policies of this Plan
- the policies of the Suffolk Structure Plan (Incorporating Alterations
1, 2 and 3)
- the advice given in Government Circulars and Planning Policy Guidance
Notes, where appropriate
- other material considerations;
(ii) the preparation, adoption and implementation of design/ development
briefs for particular sites;
(iii) the preparation, adoption and implementation of supplementary
planning guidance, such as design guides;
(iv) the use of conditions on planning permissions;
(v) legal agreements (see paras 8.16 to 8.19);
(vi) liaison/negotiations with landowners, applicants, developers and
the house building industry generally;
(vii) the encouragement of schemes to meet local housing needs by Housing
Associations;
(viii) continuous monitoring of the availability of land and premises
for residential and employment-related development;
(ix) the issue of advice, for example, on design matters or employment
issues or, in an enabling role, indicating where advice, financial assistance,
etc can be obtained;
(x) the publication of registers, schedules, leaflets, etc, as appropriate
and as financial resources permit;
(xi) the implementation of schemes as contained in the Council's budget;
(xii) grant aid in accordance with the Council's adopted policy;
(xiii) liaison and co-operation with statutory undertakers, Suffolk
County Council as the Highway Authority, and other appropriate agencies.
8.7 However, the level of finance available to the District Council for
implementing projects is greatly influenced by a number of factors, notably,
Central Government restrictions on spending. It is, therefore, subject
to fluctuation and the Council reviews its budget on an annual basis.
8.8 The extent to which the District Council can implement the policies
and proposals of the Plan, therefore, will be influenced by the level
of finance available to the Council during the Plan period.
SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL
8.9 The County Council, as Highway Authority, is responsible for all
matters related to roads and transport, including the provision of new
facilities (except Trunk Roads), on-street parking, road closures, highway
safety and other traffic management. The County Council is also responsible
for Education and Social Services and, as a Planning Authority, is responsible
for minerals and waste disposal.
TOWN AND PARISH COUNCILS
8.10 As appropriate these provide new recreation and community facilities,
including allotments, possibly with grant aid as relevant, from the District
Council.
PUBLIC UTILITIES
8.11 Public Utilities include British Gas, the Electricity Industry,
British Telecommunications plc, Anglian Water and the Environment Agency.
These will take account of the policies and proposals of the Plan in the
provision of their services and facilities.
HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS
8.12 These will be partly responsible for the provision of affordable
housing, possibly with finance from the Housing Corporation.
THE PRIVATE SECTOR
8.13 The private sector will be responsible for the greater majority
of houses constructed during the period of the Plan, new employment and
commercial development, and tourist/leisure facilities.
PLANNING AGREEMENTS
8.14 There may be occasions where the District Council will seek to restrict
the development or the use of land in a specified way, or require certain
operations to be carried out.
8.15 Some developments, especially larger ones, will impose costs on
the local community, normally by stretching existing or requiring new
facilities or services. These should reasonably be provided or paid for
by the developer. General examples within this District include roads,
junctions and traffic management measures; primary and secondary school
education provision; and community, social and health facilities. In addition,
and as a reflection of the character and historical context of the District,
subjects include landscaping, tree planting and other screening; wildlife
habitats; and restoration of listed buildings and historic parklands.
Furthermore, and in pursuit of its principles of sustainable development,
the District Council may request contributions towards new public transport
services or footpaths and cycleways.
8.16 In most cases the Council's preferred approach is to impose planning
conditions on any permission granted but alternatively, where appropriate,
the Council may seek to enter into planning obligations with a developer.
These are entered into voluntarily by means of a deed. With the exception
of those that require the payment of money, most will be attached to the
application site, although this is not essential.
8.17 Where a planning obligation forms part of an applicant's package
of proposals (ie where it is necessary to overcome some valid planning
objection to the proposed development), the Council will require that
this is completed and submitted before granting a planning permission.
8.18 Obligations can be requestedby the Council, subject to the
test of legitimacy in Circular 1/97 Annex B, or they can be offeredby
an applicant. Where requested, the test is that the obligation should
be necessary, relevant to the development in particular and planning in
general, fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development
proposed and reasonable in all other respects.
8.19 Developers can offer anything that they see fit, but in seeking
to meet a planning objection they should avoid irrelevant or excessive
benefits. In all cases the following maxim will apply. Acceptable development
will not be refused because an applicant is unwilling or unable to offer
benefits through a planning obligation. Unacceptable development will
not be permitted because an applicant offers unnecessary or unrelated
benefits.
POLICY AP117
Planning Obligations
Where appropriate, the Council will seek to enter into a planning
obligation by agreement with the applicant to make provision for the
following, where that provision cannot be part of the development or
could not suitably be made the subject of a condition on the new development:
(i) that which is needed to enable the development to go ahead,
e.g. provision of adequate access;
(ii) that which is so directly related to the proposed development
and use of land that the development ought not to be permitted without
it, e.g:
• improvements or provision, on or off-site, of open space.
• landscaping off-site.
• off-site transport improvements such as public transport
or car parking.
• the restoration of Listed Buildings and historic parklands
forming a related part of the overall scheme.
• other essential public facilities.
(iii) financial payment which will contribute to meeting the cost
of provision in the near future e.g. commuted payments for off-site
parking provision and recreational facilities provision;
(iv) the
preservation of archaeological sites, their recording prior to development
or the sealing by development of significant archaeological features;
(v) the protection of significant habitats and replacement of
those that have been lost, either on or off the site, as a direct
consequence of the development;
(vi) the replacement of facilities that have been lost.
(vii) a contribution towards the provision of additional school places
where the scale of a particular residential development creates extra
demand which cannot be accommodated in existing schools serving the particular
catchment area.
8.20 All of the above should not be taken as a 'shopping list'. Every
application will be treated on its merits and negotiated on an individual
basis. Other subjects or facilities may be relevant, therefore.
8.21 Specific subjects referred to elsewhere in the Local Plan and the
subject of individual policies include:
AP7- archaeology
AP38 - affordable housing
AP80 - car parking and other transport facilities
AP103 - outdoor play space.
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULES
8.22 The major part of this Plan contains land-use policies which will
be used by the District Council in the consideration of planning applications.
8.23 There are also a number of proposals relating to the development,
use or improvements to specific sites or locations. These will be implemented
by the direct action of one agency or another. In order to identify the
implementing agency and indicate the likely timing, a schedule has been
prepared and this can be found at the end of each Area section. Please
note that the timings are estimates and, where the private sector is involved,
will depend on such factors as market forces or landowner's aspirations.
MONITORING AND REVIEW
8.24 It is inevitable that circumstances will change, the issues will
vary, and new opportunities will arise; flexibility, therefore, is essential
if the Plan is to prove effective.
8.25 Effective monitoring is necessary, to be followed up either by a
review of all of the Plan, or part(s) of it if the change in circumstances
is so significant.
8.26 Further alterations to the Plan would only be made following full
consultation with the public and, as evident from this document, the procedures
for altering the Plan are the same as for its preparation and adoption.
Footnote: The District Council has published four Annual Monitoring
Reports of the Local Plan in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2000.
