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8. Monitoring, Review and Risk Analysis

8.1

Monitoring of the Bradley Area Action Plan (AAP) will be carried out as part of the Council’s Annual Monitoring Report (AMR)(39). It is important to monitor the plan against targets and specific indicators as this will provide a base against which to measure policy success and implementation.

8.2 In addition to monitoring success, it is also important to keep abreast of external influences that may affect the delivery of the policy base. In this respect it is important to consider the risks and their possible mitigation by assessing their flexibility within the policy framework. It is also important that key triggers are identified to ensure appropriate and timely policy review.

Monitoring Framework

8.3

The Bradley AAP seeks to deliver a step change in an attempt to transform the local housing market, improve the urban environment and create a more sustainable place in which people can live and work. Delivery of the strategy objectives will be through a set of core planning policies as set out in this AAP and through the co-ordinated action of agencies and organisations working within the Bradley area.

8.4 The successful delivery of the AAP objectives will be measured through assessment against a set of output indicators which will be monitored on an annual basis using information gathered by the relevant Council departments and external agencies for input into the Council's Annual Monitoring Report. These are detailed in Table 5 (overleaf). They include indicators which are policy specific as well as more general 'plan level' outcomes which relate to the achievement of the objectives of this AAP. A full review of the AAP will be carried out in 2016 to assess whether progress is being made towards achieving the targets and to see if the strategy and policies within the AAP are effective.
8.5

The AAP evidence base will also be regularly updated in liaison with the Council’s policy unit. The Council will undertake Stock Condition Surveys every five years, and crime, health education, etc, statistics will be analysed once they have been updated by the relevant bodies. Updates of some aspects of the evidence base will depend upon Census information, updates to the Indices of Deprivation etc.

Table 5: Outputs Indicators and Targets

Outcome Target Indicator Milestone Baseline Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism

To reduce the number of private sector homes that are empty for 6 months or more

Reduce the long-term vacancy rate within the AAP area to bring it in line with the borough average

Long term (6+ months) vacant homes

Interim target:

Reduce long term vacancy rate within the AAP boundary to 8.15% by 2016 (i.e. midway towards the borough average)

11.8% vacancy rate (April, 2008)

Borough average: 4.5% (2006)

Pendle Council’s Empty Homes Strategy

To diversify the housing offer in the AAP area

132 new homes to be built over plan period and at least 50% of these with 3+ bedrooms

20% of new homes to be affordable

New dwellings completed on all sites % of new dwellings 3+ bedroom

Affordable dwellings completions and % of total

 

 

End Phase 1 (2013):

9 new homes built

End Phase 2 (2017):

48 new homes built

End Phase 3 (2021):

75 new homes built

At least 50% of new dwellings 3+ bedroom in each phasing period

Average number of rooms per dwelling in Bradley ward:

Market housing: 4.94 ( lowest in borough)

Social rent: 4.09

(2001, Census)

Pendle Council’s

Annual Housing Land Monitoring Study

 

Census

 

To reduce the recognised open space deficiency

Reduce current deficiency of green space by 0.87ha and equipped play areas by 1

New green space / urban park and equipped play areas on sites identified in Policy 4

0.87ha green space and 1 equipped play area complete by end Phase 2 (2017)

Greenspace deficiency -2.2ha

Equipped Areas for Play -1.5 sites

(Pendle Open Space Audit)

Pendle Council Open Space Audit

To develop new employment opportunities

0.38ha of brownfield land developed for new employment uses

Development of site identified in Policy 5

0.38ha employment land developed on Bradley Hall Road site by end 2013

Sites currently vacant / derelict

Pendle Council Employment Land Monitoring Review

To improve Bradley’s ranking in the Indices of  Deprivation

To improve the ranking of all the LSOA’s which cover the Bradley AAP area

Indices of Deprivation

Improvements in the rankings of the Bradley LSOA’s each  time the Indices of Deprivation are published (every 3 years)

IMD, 2007

Indices of Deprivation

Risk Analysis and Mitigation

8.6

The flexibility of the Bradley AAP and its ability to respond to changing circumstances forms one of the key tests of soundness of the document. The following represent the key risks to the delivery of the AAP and indicates how the effects could be mitigated.

Potential Risk

Level of Risk

Mitigation

Barriers to delivery

Unsuccessful CPO :

The Council will use CPO Powers where necessary to acquire the property/land interests required to facilitate the redevelopment of the area.

Medium

Where CPO powers are not successful the Council will consider roll-out of further block improvements to those properties earmarked for clearance. Whilst this is very much a second best option, it will help to eliminate long term blight.

Resources

Failure to secure necessary resources: Many of the projects within the AAP rely on funding from the Housing programme and other public funding schemes.

Medium

Pendle’s HMR Programme is being carefully managed to ensure that the number of redevelopment schemes is not likely to outstrip the likely funding. However, where a lower than expected amount of funding is available from the HMR Programme other sources will be explored, e.g. Housing and Communities Agency (HCA).The Council will also work with their private sector, joint venture development partner to bring forward proposals for redevelopment sites.

Partner Commitment

Commitment of delivery partners: Many of the projects within the AAP rely on the commitment and support from other agencies and organisations.

Low

Regular liaison meetings will be held with the key delivery partners to ensure their continued support for the delivery of the plan.

Emerging Policy Changes

Change in National Planning Guidance: Pendle Local Development Framework: The Bradley AAP is being prepared in advance of the Core Strategy, therefore the AAP could pre-empt the development of options and policies in the Core Strategy.

 

Low

Low

Low

Planning Policy Statements may be issued containing new planning guidance. At the submission stage the AAP will reflect the most up-to-date information available. Generally new national planning advice can sit alongside the AAP since it can be a material consideration in the determination of any planning application. Should a fundamental shift in policy emerge, this would trigger a review of the AAP.

Policy 17 of the Pendle replacement Local Plan will allow for general market housing within the Bradley Priority Action Area should a need arise.

The AAP focuses on one key area of proposed change. The adopted Pendle Local Plan is up-to-date. Where more recent policy has emerged in PPSs this has been taken account of in the preparation of the AAP. Whilst it is acknowledged that it is a risk preparing the AAP ahead of the Core Strategy, only a fundamental shift in policy would necessitate an early review of the AAP. 

Timing and sequencing of delivery proposals

Early development on the Riverside Mill site is important. Potential S106 contributions from the site could contribute to delivering other aspects of the plan, e.g. open space provision.

Medium

A development brief has been prepared for the site which will speed up the determination of a potential future application for the development of the site for housing. If the Pendle Replacement Plan site designation for employment is not changed, due to the rejection of the AAP housing proposals, alternative funding will be sought to replace the potential 106 funding.

Economy

Changes in the economy and the impact on the construction sector and the housing market.

High

Continue to work with RPL to help to bring sites forward for redevelopment. Explore interim uses for vacant sites in order to maintain their environmental quality and management.

Sustainability Appraisal Monitoring

8.7 The Bradley AAP must also be monitored in terms of its performance against the objectives and targets included in the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) to assess its contribution towards sustainable development. This will help to determine whether policies and objectives need to be amended or replaced if adverse effects are identified. The SA framework in Appendix 5 of the full SA Report provides a base from which a monitoring system can be developed. The results of this monitoring will be reported in the Annual Monitoring Report.

Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA)

8.8

An EqIA is an evaluation tool which analyses the effect that a policy or procedure will have on a particular group of people, to highlight whether their needs are being met and if there are any issues requiring further action. The tool promotes equality and aims to ensure that there are no discriminatory effects. An EqIA is also a requirement emanating from the Disability Equality Duty (in force from December 2006), Race Equality Duty (May 2002) and the Gender Equality Duty (April 2007) and /or European Commission requirements.

8.9 An EqIA of the Bradley AAP has been undertaken and a report is provided as part of the evidence base.

Footnotes

 

39 The heart of the AMR (Section 5) provides details of performance against a number of 'core' indicators (set nationally to allow comparison with other districts or local planning authorities) as well as some 'local' indicators influenced by planning decisions and development. Significant Effects indicators (Section 6) are products of the Sustainability Appraisal process on LDDs. The links between annual monitoring and the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) and Local Area Agreement (LAA) (which set targets to reduce worklessness, increase the number of public sector apprentices and improve national skill levels / processes) are briefly discussed (Section 7) and finally a summary of the monitoring framework is provided (Section 8), detailing how and when the appropriate data is collected for inclusion in the AMR.