Fourth Annual Monitoring Report

3 Planning Policy Implementation and Monitoring Issues

LDF Core Output Indicators

3.1 The following LDF core output indicators are for the whole of Wigan Borough from 1st  April 2007 to 31st March 2008.

Business Development

Definitions

Business Development and Town Centres Core Indicators (Gross Internal Floorspace is calculated at 3.75%)

3.2 2007/08 has seen a significant decrease (approximately 50%) in the employment take up rate across all employment types within the Borough compared to 2006/07.  In total, only 18,005 sq m of employment land has been developed (compared to 33296 sq m in 2006/07).  Of this, 8,507 sq m (49.1%) has been mixed employment developments (B1/B2/B8).

3.3 The majority of new employment development has been within the Borough’s Primary Employment Areas especially in the township of Wigan South where 42% of the total development has taken place. 

3.4 The most significant decreases, in comparison with 2006/07, has been the take up of office development within the Borough.  Only one office development, 2614 sq m at Stone Cross Park, has been developed.  This is an 80% decrease on the previous year.

3.5 5,636 sq m of employment take up has been for B2 industrial uses (31.3% of total development).  The majority of this has been at Hope Carr/Leigh Commerce Park (EM1A 8), South Lancashire Industrial Estate (EM1A 36) and Swan Lane, Hindley Green (EM1A 15).

3.6 Despite a very low take up figure of 472 sq m for storage or distribution development, the majority of mixed employment developments include a significant area of B8 floorspace.

Housing

3.7 Since adoption of the UDP in April 2006, the affordable housing policy is being implemented on relevant applications and a Supplementary Planning Document has been prepared which includes the target of completing 106 affordable homes per year.  There have been 14 affordable homes completed since April 2007.

3.8 The housing trajectory tables,  included in  Appendix 1, illustrate the housing position in Wigan at April 2008 based on (a) the adopted UDP and (b) the RSS housing figures.  Information on brownfield development is also gathered for internal Best Value Indicators which is used for H3.

3.9 The former Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West (RPG13) required that the Borough makes provision for an annual average build rate of 410 dwellings per year.  This rate is net of clearance; therefore an allowance of 100 has been made to give a gross housing requirement for the Borough of 510 dwellings per year.  This figure has been used for Housing Trajectory (a) based on the UDP figures.  The UDP specifies that this annual rate of provision will apply to 2016 until such time as a different rate is adopted through a review of RSS. The current Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West (RSS) requires that the Borough makes provision for an annual average build rate of 978 dwellings per year. This rate is net of clearance; therefore an allowance of 80 (based on an average of the last 5 years) has been made to give a gross housing requirement for the Borough of 1058 dwellings per year. This figure has been used for Housing trajectory (b) based on the current RSS figures.

3.10 In relation to core indicator H2a(i) over the past six years since the adoption of the UDP a total of 5768 net additional dwellings were provided in the Borough equating to an annual average of 961. In relation to core indicator H2a(ii) over the past five years since the start of the current RSS a total of 5078 net additional dwellings were provided in the Borough equating to an annual average of 1016. In the present AMR year (2007/08) the rate was 1641 net additional dwellings, this indicates an increase in overall build rates in the Borough since 2004/05 with a 48% increase from 04/05 to 05/06 and a 19% increase from 05/06 to 06/07 and a 49% increase from 06/07 to 07/08.

3.11 Over the UDP plan period from 2002/2003 to 2015/2016, the provision of 7140 dwellings is required in the Borough.  As 5768 dwellings have been built since 2002, it is established that over the remaining plan period, the annual average number of net additional dwellings needed to meet overall housing requirements is 172 dwellings per annum. Over the current RSS plan period from 2003/04 to 2020/21, the provision of 19044 dwellings is required in the Borough. As 5078 dwellings have been built since 2003, it is established that over the remaining plan period, the annual average number of net additional dwellings needed to meet overall housing requirements is 1074 dwellings per annum.

3.12 No new transit or permanent additional Gypsy and Traveller pitches have been provided within the Borough during the reporting year.

3.13 No dwellings completed over the reporting year have been recorded against the Building for Life criteria.

3.14 The housing position in the Borough will continue to be monitored on a regular basis. At present the Council is undertaking a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) to identify potential sites for housing and to asses when they are likely to be developed to maintain a continuous 5 year supply of sites to meet RSS housing requirements.

Transport

3.15 The core output indicators previously reported on under this heading are no longer core indicators.

Minerals

3.16 The most up-to-date figures available for primary aggregate production are for 2006.  The information is set out in North West Regional Aggregates Working Party (RAWP) Annual Report 2007.  Figures for secondary / recycled aggregate production and re-use can also be found in this document, as well as in the Government's Survey of Arisings and Use of Construction and Demolition and Excavation Waste as Aggregate in England 2005, and the most recent data (from 2006) in the Smiths Gore Study to fill the evidence gaps for construction, demolition and excavation waste streams in the North West region of England.

NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL POLICY - MINERALS

Survey of Arisings and Use of Alternatives to Primary Aggregates in England, 2005

3.17 Capita Symonds was contracted to undertake a survey of the arisings of hard construction, demolition and excavation waste in 2006.  The results of this survey are only available at the regional level and cannot be broken down to the sub-regional level; therefore the study represents the position for the whole of the North West in 2005.

3.18 In 2005, the North West produced 6.72 million tonnes of recycled aggregate and soil, consisting of approximately 6.02 million tonnes of aggregate and 0.7 million tonnes of soil.

North West Regional Aggregates Working Party Annual Report 2007

3.19 Production of primary land-won aggregates – The RAWP Annual Report 2007 provides an aggregated figure for Greater Manchester, Halton, Warrington and Merseyside for the year 2006.  Data for the year 2007 has been collated; however, the final report for 2007 is not due to be published until December 2008.  Aggregate production for this year was 1.54 million tonnes for crushed rock and 0.4 million tonnes for sand and gravel, giving a total production figure of 1.94 million tonnes.  Figures cannot be assigned to individual boroughs for reasons of confidentiality. 

3.20 Production of secondary / recycled aggregates – The RAWP Annual Report 2007 does not include updated information on secondary aggregates, therefore the most up to date data is contained within the RAWP Annual Report 2006 which contains information on road planings and clay / shales / Pulverised Fuel Ash, slate and Blast Furnace Slag & other (see Table 1).  Figures are identified for the North West level only.  In 2005, a total of 192, 939 tonnes of road planings were identified in the North West, of which 191,010 tonnes were reused.  A total of 492,084 tonnes of Clay / Shales / Pulverised fuel Ash, slate and Blast Furnace Slag & Other were reused in 2005.  Reserves for these materials were 12,885,765 tonnes in 2005.

3.21 Data on secondary aggregates is currently being collected to inform the RAWP Annual Report 2008, which will be available early in 2009.

Table 1: Secondary aggregate reuse and reserves 2005 (tonnes)

3.22 Unfortunately these figures cannot be broken down below the North West level and do not cover other sources of construction and demolition waste.

Waste

3.23 There were no new waste management facilities which became operable within the reporting year.

3.24 The amount of municipal waste declined from last years total of 204,618 tonnes. Consequently the amount of municipal waste recycled/composted decreased although it's proportion of the total increased to some 26%, compared to 36% last year.

National, Regional and Local policy – Waste

Regional Spatial Strategy

3.25 The North West Regional Spatial Strategy was published on 30th September 2008.  Following on from the Examination in Public the Panel Report recommended that a Partial Review be undertaken on a number of key areas including waste, housing, energy etc.  In terms of waste further clarity would need to be provided on the following areas:

•  Regional apportionment
•  Reclassification of hazardous waste
•  Construction and Demolition waste production
•  Commercial and Industrial waste production
•  Broad locations for waste facilities of subregional, regional or national significance.

3.26 Griffin Hill Ltd working jointly with Urban Mines Ltd were commissioned in July 2008 to undertake a study on broad locations for nationally, regionally, sub-regionally significant waste management facilities on behalf of the North West Regional Technical Advisory Body for Waste and 4NW.  The final report was signed off in October 2008.

3.27 Despite the work undertaken to date it has now been decided that waste along with housing etc will no longer be considered as part of a Partial Review and instead will form part of the development of a Single Regional Strategy.  4NW will continue to work with partners to develop the evidence base.

Regional Studies

Study to fill the evidence gaps for construction, demolition and excavation waste streams in the North West region of England

3.28 The North West Regional Technical Advisory Body (NWRTAB) for Waste and the North West RAWP (which has membership of officers from the Environment Agency, all of the North West Minerals and Waste Planning Authorities and the North West Regional Assembly) commissioned a waste survey for the North West region of England.  This was funded from the BREW fund, the North West Minerals and Waste Planning Authorities (Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, 10 GM Authorities, Merseyside and Warrington), the Environment Agency and the North West Regional Assembly.

3.29 The study, published in July 2007, was undertaken by Smiths Gore and represents the most up-to-date information available for this waste stream.  However, the results have not been broken down below regional estimates due to the low return rate of surveys. The survey estimated that some 11,345,222 tonnes of waste was generated in 2006, compared to the national survey result of 10,792,823 tonnes for 2005. 

Study to fill Evidence Gaps for Commercial & Industrial Waste Streams in the North West Region of England

3.30 In 2006, the North West Regional Technical Advisory Body and NW Minerals and Waste Planning Authorities commissioned a survey of commercial and industrial waste arisings in the North West of England.  The final report was published in May 2007.

3.31 The aim of the survey was to provide information to help with the development of waste planning strategies, including identifying the need for waste facilities in the Region. Completed between September 2006 and January 2007, the survey collected data from some 981 companies distributed around the region, based on a strict survey matrix defining company size and sector. The survey provided estimates of the amount of waste produced for each sub-region for sector, waste type and destination.  Key headline data from the study is as follows:

3.32 The total arisings of commercial and industrial waste across the North West is 7,532,289 tonnes, of this:

•      27% non-metallic wastes
•      24% mixed wastes
•      19% chemical waste
•      47% is recycled
•      minimum 29% is landfilled

3.33 The results of the two regional studies have been used to inform the development of the evidence base for the Greater Manchester Joint Waste Development Plan Document.

Flood Protection and Water Quality

3.34 Of the 23 applications which were objected to on flood defence grounds,  3 were refused, 13 were withdrawn, 4 were able to satisfy the objection and 2 have not yet been determined.  1 objection was received outside the statutory time frame and so could not be considered prior to approval of the application. 

3.35 There were no objections recorded on grounds of water quality.

Biodiversity

3.36 Reedbed habitat improvements have continued at Wigan Flashes.  In 2007/08 a half hectare of reedbed has been created with a further 6 hectares improved.  At the Bickershaw site a half hectare reedbed has been created with improvements to over 2 hectares of reedbed.

3.37 Mossland habitat has seen a continued improvement to 7 hectares at Astley and Bedford Moss.

3.38 In 2008 work has commenced on an Ecological/Biodiversity Study to look at the distribution of UK Priority Biodiversity Habitats within the borough.  This will also consider habitats of regional and local importance.  This work should enable further assessment of any change to these habitats as part of the Local Development Framework process.

3.39 This year has seen an increase in areas designated for their environmental value.  This is mainly due to the revised boundary of the SBI at Gibfield Park following the development of the Country Park and the works to improve habitats for great crested newts.

Renewable Energy

3.40 Within the Borough there are 3 landfill gas sites in operation, that of Ince Moss (installed capacity 0.62 MW), Kirkless Power (installed capacity 2.08 MW) and Whitehead landfill (installed capacity 5.3 MW).

3.41 There is a noticeable increase in proposals for renewable energy development. Approval has been given for the installation of two 8m high wind turbines, and solar panel cladding (25m x 5.2m)at the Grand Arcade development, Wigan.  The potential installed capacity for this development has been recorded above.

3.42 No new renewable energy capacity has been installed in the Borough during the year.