DRAFT Sustainability Appraisal Report for the Emerging Local Plan ...

4.73 To summarise, Policy SP03 promotes the safeguarding of existing sites. It suggests additional provision
between the years 2016 – 2026 be considered in a future DPD. This is in line with the requirements of
the Government’s PPTS. SP03 –A1 does not provide any additional provision.
Strategic Policy 4 (SP04) – Provision and Retention of Infrastructure and Services
4.74 The provision and retention of infrastructure in the Borough will be key in delivering the development
requirements set out in the Local Plan Core Strategy and meeting the essential infrastructure
requirement in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan.
4.75 The NPPF highlights that Local Plans should be positively prepared, and based on a strategy that seeks
to meet objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements, and the Sustainable
Community Strategy (SCS) supports the approach of the NPPF.
4.76 As the Borough will inevitably see an increase in development over the plan period, the Council
requires all new development required to mitigate their impacts will be required to contribute towards
the delivery of social, physical and green infrastructure needed to support new development. A Local
Plan policy is deemed necessary to support a new charging schedule under The Community
Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 and The Community Infrastructure Levy (Amendment)
Regulations 2011.
4.77 The Local Plan considered one policy option for Policy SP04 to deliver its objective and this has been
summarised in Table 26.
Table 26 – SP04 Policy Options Considered
Policy and Alternatives Considered
Assessment
ID.
Policy/Alternative Policy Text CFR Comment
Strategic Policy 4 (SP04) – Provision and Retention of Infrastructure and Services
Policy SP04 requires new development to contribute to the delivery of infrastructure identified in
the Infrastructure Delivery Plan whilst promoting partnership working secure the same.
‐ Alternatives not considered relevant to this policy.
4.78 The Local Plan promotes no alternatives to Policy SP04, stating that:
“The policy provides a local perspective on the guidance set out in The NPPF
which says in paragraph 179 that it is important that planned infrastructure
is delivered in a timely fashion. It is important for local planning authorities to
understand the borough wide development costs at the time Local Plan are
drawn up. For this reason infrastructure and development policies should be
planned at the same time, in the Local Plan. In paragraph 175 it says that
where practical, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) should be worked up
and tested alongside the Local Plan. This is the proposed approach of the
Local Plan. Policy SP04 seeks to set the context for the Infrastructure Delivery
Plan (IDP) that underpins the CIL charging regime with the former being an
integral part of the Local Plan process. It is recognised that the development
policies in the Local Plan will identify the quantum of development and
provide the guidance for assembling the IDP.”
4.79 As no alternative was put forward for Provision and Retention of Infrastructure and Services policy,
therefore the only policy made available for consideration to SA/SEA is SP04. The policy requires the
Council to work with its partners to secure appropriate contributions and provision of infrastructure
and mitigation to support new development, secure the retention of existing infrastructure that meets
local needs.
4.80 At the Issues and Options stage considerable support was received for the proposal that development
should help fund infrastructure and services, for example the Council’s Yellow Bus Scheme (transport
for school children), general bus services and traffic management measures.
4.81 During the evolution of the Local Plan, the Council considered the alternative to a policy on community
infrastructure would be to rely on guidance as set out in Circular 05/05 and the use of the Community
Infrastructure Levy (CIL) when it is introduced. It concluded that this would leave the provision of
infrastructure to be dealt with on a case by case basis through the planning application process. The
Page | 59 Runnymede BC FINAL Sustainability Appraisal Report – Feb 2013