City of Salford Unitary Development Plan 2004 - 2016

City of Salford Unitary Development Plan 2004 - 2016

• Preface

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Plan Strategy
• 3 Spatial Framework
• 4 Strategic policies
• 5 Mixed-use development
• 6 Design
• 7 Housing
• 8 Employment and the economy
• 9 Retail and leisure development
• 10 Education, health and community facilities
• 11 Accessibility
• 12 Environmental protection and improvement
• 13 The city's heritage
• 14 Recreation
• 15 Development
• 16 Waste
• 17 Minerals
• 18 Monitoring

• Appendix A Public involvement in the UDP
• Appendix B Disabled, cycle and motorcycle parking standards
• Appendix C Car parking standards
• Appendix D Indicative flood plains

2 Plan Strategy

2.1 The strategy of the Unitary Development Plan is based firmly on the concept of sustainable development, balancing the economic, social and environmental priorities of the city. It seeks to ensure that the needs of local communities are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This involves directing development to the most appropriate locations; encouraging new development, infrastructure and facilities where they are required; and protecting key environmental assets.

Vision

2.2 The Unitary Development Plan takes as its starting point the vision set out in Salford’s Community Plan, which is as follows:

In 2016 Salford will be a beautiful and welcoming city, driven by energetic and engaged communities of highly skilled, healthy and motivated citizens, who have built a diverse and prosperous culture and economy which encourages and recognises the contribution of everyone for everyone.

2.3 An implicit part of this vision, and one of the city council’s key priorities, is to halt the decline in the city’s population, and work towards a population increase in the future. The UDP takes a holistic approach to achieving this, which involves not only ensuring that there is an adequate supply and range of good quality homes, but also securing the provision of an attractive and safe physical environment, a comprehensive range of accessible everyday facilities, accessible employment opportunities, and fostering a positive and dynamic image for the city. Together this will help to ensure that the city is a place where people choose to live, work and visit, and one that its residents are proud of.

Aim 1 - To meet the city’s housing needs

2.4 There is a strong emphasis in the UDP on ensuring that there is an appropriate supply of housing in order to support the stabilisation and expansion of the city’s population. As such, the UDP seeks to secure improvements in the quality and range of housing, as well as the volume, with a particular emphasis on providing the type of accommodation and appropriate neighbourhood settings and facilities that will help to attract families to live in Salford.

2.5 One of the main ways it does this is by supporting the improvement of the existing housing stock, and, where appropriate, enabling the clearance and redevelopment of dwellings. This will assist the wider processes of area regeneration and housing market renewal, and support the stabilisation of residential areas.

2.6 The UDP allocates a broad range of sites for housing, as well as identifying opportunities for housing development within the mixed-use areas of the Regional Centre. Together, these will provide sufficient development opportunities to secure an increase in the city’s population. Control will be exercised over the number, type and location of new homes that are provided, to ensure that this matches the needs of the city and supports a successful housing market.

Aim 2 - To maximise employment opportunities for local people

2.7 The provision of a good range of quality local employment opportunities is an important aspect of tackling deprivation and supporting the continued stability and sustainability of the city. Salford has seen a significant strengthening of its local economy in recent years with both a large increase in the number of jobs that it provides, and a major reduction in its unemployment levels, and the UDP is designed to support the continuation of these trends.

2.8 Economic activity will continue to be primarily located in the regionally important locations of the Regional Centre and Western Gateway, and this is enabled in the UDP through specific site allocations (including a strategic regional site at Barton), mixed-use development policies, and appropriate transport infrastructure improvements. The allocation of sites for employment development in other parts of the city will ensure an appropriate supply of more local job opportunities. The protection and enhancement of the city’s town centres and existing employment areas will also assist in securing local employment opportunities.

2.9 The UDP encourages the further strengthening of the already buoyant service sector, and the attraction of key growth sectors such as knowledge-based industries and tourism/cultural development. As part of this, it specifically enables the development of an Innovation Park and Knowledge Capital, with links to the nearby University of Salford, and supports the establishment of a Media Link and the implementation of an Economic Development Zone in the Chapel Street area, primarily through mixed-use development involving appropriate employment uses. The Chapel Street area will also be an important focus for tourism activity, along with Salford Quays and the Bridgewater Canal corridor, and the development of a Regional Park will secure additional economic benefits associated with tourism and recreation visits.

2.10 The UDP seeks to ensure not only that local employment opportunities are available, but also that local residents can gain access to them. It therefore supports and encourages the use of local labour agreements and training opportunities for local residents. It also provides for improvements in transport infrastructure and services to allow residents to access jobs both within the city and in neighbouring areas.

Aim 3 - To minimise the need to travel and develop a sustainable and integrated transport network

2.11 As well as supporting environmental objectives by reducing the need for car use, minimising the need to travel also saves people time, contributing to a better quality of life. However, where people do need to travel it is important that they have access to high quality transport networks, which support both social inclusion and economic development.

2.12 The UDP will allow the careful control of new development to ensure that the need to travel is minimised. It seeks to concentrate development within the urban area, and resists pressures for dispersal, both through its allocations and development control policies. Development that generates a large number of trips will only be permitted in locations that are, or will be made, accessible by a choice of means of transport, and as part of this there is a strong emphasis on high-density development in the Regional Centre. Mixed-use development that minimises the need to travel is also supported in accessible locations.

2.13 The UDP also enables the continued development and improvement of the city’s transport networks, and allows for the use of planning obligations to secure new and enhanced transport provision as part of new developments. It supports the expansion of Metrolink and the system of 'Quality Bus Corridors' throughout the city, so that the whole population can share in the benefits of fast, high quality public transport and to ensure that a realistic alternative to car use is provided. New maximum parking standards for developments are set out in the UDP, encouraging a reduction in car use. The movement of freight by means other than road is supported, particularly through the increased use of rail and the Manchester Ship Canal, and the UDP identifies the Barton Strategic Regional Site as being a suitable location for the provision of a multi-modal freight interchange. The UDP also makes provision for specific new road links where these are essential to the city’s continued economic development and regeneration, and supports the continued maintenance and management of the existing highway network.

Aim 4 - To improve environmental quality and community safety

2.14 A safe, attractive and high quality environment is absolutely fundamental to ensuring that the city is one where people choose to live, work and visit, and therefore to achieving an increase in the city’s population. Consequently, the UDP has a very strong emphasis on good design and landscaping in new development. This is both in terms of ensuring that all development is attractive and contributes to the successful functioning of an area, and that it reduces opportunities for crime and supports the safety and security of the city’s residents, businesses and visitors.

2.15 The UDP affords protection to some of the key features that help to make the city attractive such as open spaces, trees, and historic buildings and features. There is also an emphasis on improving the appearance of key transport corridors through the city, as these are an important component in the image of the city. Development control policies are included that seek to ensure that all occupiers of new and existing developments have a satisfactory level of amenity, and that the risks and negative impacts associated with new development are minimised.

2.16 The quality of the urban environment can only be guaranteed through an appropriate maintenance and management regime. The UDP therefore supports the use of planning obligations to secure appropriate contributions to environmental maintenance within the city.

Aim 5 - To provide a comprehensive range of accessible local facilities

2.17 The UDP seeks to ensure that all local residents have access to a comprehensive range of local retail, community, education, health and recreation facilities. This will help to make the city an attractive place to live, and tackle deprivation related to poor health and education, as well as promoting social inclusion and environmental protection by minimising the need to travel. The provision of good schools is considered particularly important, being central to attracting families to the city, and the UDP supports this by enabling both the provision of new schools and the improvement or redevelopment of existing schools where appropriate.

2.18 Policies are included in the UDP that afford protection to existing facilities, so that they are not displaced unnecessarily by higher value uses. Particular protection and support is afforded to the city’s four town centres, which will continue to be developed as a major focus for local communities, providing a range of shops and other facilities. The UDP allocates a site in each town centre for the provision of a new health and social care centre, which will be an important component in improving public health. The city’s eighteen neighbourhood centres are also afforded some protection, whilst allowing them to change over time to adapt to circumstances and support local regeneration.

2.19 The UDP also affords protection to, and seeks improvements in, the quality and range of open spaces, parks, and other sports and recreation facilities, which will support both the provision of attractive neighbourhoods and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

2.20 The provision of regionally important facilities will benefit local residents as well as serving the wider conurbation and enhancing the image of the city. The UDP supports the development of a Regional Park, based on the city’s unique heritage and environmental assets, which will provide a wealth of recreation facilities for local residents and will help to attract visitors to the city. The further improvement of facilities at Hope Hospital and the internationally important University of Salford is also supported.

Aim 6 - To protect and enhance natural and historic environmental assets

2.21 The city has a wide range of natural and historic environmental assets that make an important contribution to the character of the city and play a central role in maintaining its attractiveness to residents, businesses and visitors. These assets include the Green Belt and other areas of open land; sites and features of ecological, geological and landscape value; the mosslands; land of high agricultural value; rivers, streams, canals and reservoirs; air and water quality; and listed buildings, conservation areas and historic parks and gardens.

2.22 Appropriate levels of protection are afforded to all of these assets by the UDP, and there will be strong levels of control over any development that could potentially adversely affect them, either directly or in terms of their pollution. However, the UDP also supports the sustainable utilisation of its environmental assets for the benefit of the city and its residents, where this is consistent with their protection. The UDP also seeks to protect the global climate, and to minimise the emission of pollutants that contribute to climate change.

Aim 7 - To secure sustainable resource management

2.23 The sustainable use and management of resources is a key component of sustainable development, ensuring that the environmental impact of human activity is appropriately managed for the long-term benefit of the city.

2.24 The UDP places a strong emphasis on guiding development to previously developed sites within the urban area, which will help to protect the city’s key natural environmental assets such as the Green Belt and other open spaces. It encourages the recycling of derelict, neglected and contaminated land and buildings in order to maintain the supply of previously developed land. High-density development appropriate to the location and context is also supported, helping to minimise the amount of land required for development whilst ensuring a high quality urban environment.

2.25 A limited amount of previously undeveloped land is allocated for housing development as part of a coordinated approach to area regeneration.

2.26 The UDP seeks to minimise the use of non-renewable resources, encouraging the recovery, reuse, and recycling of waste. It allows for the working of minerals, where its environmental impact is acceptable, and seeks to safeguard mineral deposits from sterilisation.

Links to the Community Plan and Seven Pledges

2.27 The table below sets out how the seven aims of the Unitary Development Plan help to deliver the seven themes of the Community Plan and the city council’s seven pledges. In summary, the seven aims are:

1. to meet the city’s housing needs
2. to maximise employment opportunities for local people
3. to minimise the need to travel and develop a sustainable and integrated transport network
4. to improve environmental quality and community safety
5. to provide a comprehensive range of accessible local facilities
6. to protect and enhance natural and historic environmental assets
7. to secure sustainable resource management

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