1. Introduction

The Bradley Area Action Plan (AAP) 2011-2021 is a Development Plan Document (DPD) in Pendle’s emerging Local Development Framework (LDF)⁽¹⁾. The LDF will eventually replace the Pendle Local Plan, providing a new strategic planning framework for the borough.

The Bradley AAP has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 and the timetable in Pendle Council’s Local Development Scheme, as amended.

Pendle Council has prepared the Bradley AAP because a large part of this inner urban ward close to Nelson town centre was identified as a priority area for regeneration and investment under the Government’s Housing Market Renewal (HMR) programme⁽²⁾ . Its role is to support the regeneration of the area.

The Bradley AAP has been prepared in advance of the Council’s Core Strategy for a number of reasons:

1. A recognition that the key issues associated with housing market failure in Bradley such as poor quality housing, high levels of vacancies, a poor quality environment, etc, need to be tackled as soon as possible.
2. To support the regeneration of the area by facilitating land use changes, supporting the use of compulsory purchase powers, etc.
3. The need to re-allocate a key site in Bradley, namely the former Riverside Mills manufacturing complex, from employment use to housing.

In addition, the Replacement Pendle Local Plan (2001-16) is relatively up-to date, having been adopted in May 2006 under the Transitional Regulations⁽³⁾. All policies in the Local Plan have now been saved until such time that they can be replaced by new policies in the emerging Local Development Framework⁽⁴⁾.

In 2002 the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) recognised that there was low demand for housing in many parts of the North of England, where falling house prices and an exodus of local people were driving many neighbourhoods into a spiral of decline.

In response the Government created the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder to help address these issues. It was designed to make radical interventions in the housing market, to help reverse this decline and ensure the long-term sustainability of neighbourhoods suffering from the symptoms and signs of low demand. The ODPM identified nine pathfinder areas for intervention. Pendle formed part of the Regenerate Pennine Lancashire (RPL) (formerly Elevate East Lancashire) Pathfinder.

In Pendle, the HMR programme has focused on the former textile towns of Brierfield, Nelson and Colne. Area Development Frameworks (ADF) – 10-15 year regeneration strategies – have been produced for each of these towns.

The Nelson ADF was produced in 2004 and identifies a number of ‘Priority Action Areas’ in the town where the worst housing, social and economic problems are to be found and where HMR investment should be focused (see Map 1 overleaf).

One of these areas is the Bradley Priority Action Area (the area covered by this AAP - see Map 2 overleaf), identified as such because it exhibits many problems of poor stock condition, relatively high vacancy levels and a poor quality environment.

Following Pendle Council’s adoption of the ADF a more detailed masterplanning exercise, focusing solely on the Bradley ‘Priority Action Area’, was carried out to help decide what actions were required and where, in order to regenerate the area⁽⁵⁾ . This formed the basis for the Issues and Options stage of this AAP.

Whilst it was announced in 2010 that the HMR programme would cease in March 2011, the AAP will continue to guide the regeneration of the area and will be used to help secure alternative sources of funding.

As part of the masterplanning exercise, a number of alternative options for how the area could be regenerated were considered.

The options presented different scenarios for regenerating the area based upon differing levels of intervention (minimum, medium and maximum change). The options proposed different levels of property improvement and clearance, and varied in terms of the amount and spatial distribution of new housing, employment land and open space. Several different options were also considered for the Riverside Mills site, including its retention for employment use, the creation of a mixed use residential / employment site and redeveloping it purely for residential use.

Each of the options has been subject to an appraisal process, which has included widespread consultation with residents, businesses, local agencies and other organisations. The appraisal has also considered how each option would contribute towards achieving the objectives of the AAP and the Sustainability Appraisal Framework, together with the costs and other issues associated with delivering each option⁽⁶⁾ .

The Bradley Area Action Plan has already been through several stages of public engagement and widespread consultation with  local residents, statutory bodies, local agencies, community groups, voluntary organisations and the business community.

All consultation exercises have been carried out in compliance with the relevant Regulations⁽⁷⁾ and the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), following its adoption in March 2007.

Full details of who has been consulted, when, how and what has been said can be found in the Consultation Statements⁽⁸⁾   which accompany this document.

We are all increasingly aware of the fact that our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet. Without change we face a future that is less certain and less secure.

Sustainable development, seeks to address this concern by making sure that in meeting our present needs we do not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The Bradley AAP has been subject to a full Sustainability Appraisal during the course of its preparation. This process assesses whether the proposals and policies in the plan are likely to promote a sustainable pattern of development, and, where possible, seeks to avoid or mitigate any potentially negative social, economic or environmental effects.

Each of the AAP options has been assessed using the Sustainability Appraisal Framework⁽⁹⁾ . By highlighting the potentially positive and negative impacts of each option, the Sustainability Appraisal has had a significant influence and helped to refine the final plan.

A screening exercise was undertaken to determine whether an Appropriate Assessment was required for the Bradley AAP. An Appropriate Assessment must be prepared for land-use planning documents in the UK⁽¹⁰⁾   where they are likely to have a significant effect, individually or in combination with other plans or projects, upon European designated wildlife sites⁽¹¹⁾ . The screening exercise⁽¹²⁾ concluded that the Bradley AAP will have no significant effect on protected sites in the vicinity and Natural England has agreed with this view⁽¹³⁾ .