4 Key Findings
4.1 This is the fourth annual monitoring report for Wigan Borough produced under the requirements of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The existence of comparable data over a four year period now means that a fuller picture of our progress in meeting objectives is emerging and that trends over time can more readily be observed.
4.2 We have made progress in establishing the data collection and monitoring systems required to meet the needs of routine monitoring. This process has gone hand in hand with the development and compilation of the extensive and robust evidence base which informs the LDF preparation process. The improvement of the monitoring system is, of course, an ongoing task which will proceed alongside LDF preparation but it is now in much better shape to give us the information to determine the impact of our policies than was the case originally.
4.3 This year, for the first time since the inception of Annual Monitoring Reports, there have been some limited revisions to the core output indicators which all authorities are required to report on. These changes are predominantly limited to the rationalisation, clarification and update of indicator definitions to reflect current government guidance.
4.4 The Core Indicators and Local Indicators reported on in this document show general progress in the implementation of UDP policies.
4.5 Where there are specific issues arising from performance against the indicators, this is referred to in the individual topic commentaries given in the body of the report. As with previous years report, the two key issues which merit comment in this section relate to the rate of development for both employment and housing uses.
4.6 The rate of development of employment land has reduced for the first time since it was first annually monitored in these reports.
4.7 However the high rate of housing development continues and continues to increase to a level of some 1600 dwellings. 86% of these new dwellings were built on brownfield land, a slight decline since the 96% rate achieved last year but still comfortably in excess of the 80% target required of us by RSS. Although this rate of housing development exceeds that given in the UDP, based on that laid down for the borough in the former Regional Spatial Strategy, it fits well with current RSS which includes significantly higher housebuilding rates. To that extent, our position now is in line with the strategy of the new RSS as well as housing targets set out at the national level.
4.8 The Local Development Scheme lays out the council's programme for bringing forward the plans and other documents that make up the Local Development Framework and Section 2 of this report details the implementation of the scheme. As well as the Supplementary Planning Documents that have been and are in process of being produced, it is noted that work is now well advanced on the Core Strategy, a key component of the LDF.