4.0 Cinderford - Forest of Dean District Council

4.2 Local Development SchemeRelationship with Core StrategyRelationship with previous Business Plan study4.0 CinderfordThe Forest of Dean District Council (FoDDC) Local DevelopmentScheme (LDS) (June 2007) originally indicated that the Core Strategyand Cinderford AAP would have very similar timescales withsimultaneous submission, and a subsequent one month lag throughthe Examination process between Core Strategy and AAP. Feedbackfrom the Planning Inspectorate at the time indicated that there weresome concerns about submitting both DPDs at the same time. Thefeedback stated that in exceptional circumstances (which wouldneed to be agreed between GOSW and FoDDC) and where “there is aneed to press on”, the Inspector would be prepared to start with thesubsequent DPDs before the Core Strategy report is complete, evenin draft form. This could be four weeks after the hearing sessions intothe Core Strategy have closed.It should be noted that Government guidance states that in generalno Development Plan Documents (e.g. the AAP) should come forwardin advance of the Core Strategy (the District wide strategy whichoutlines the overarching spatial strategy and framework for, amongstother things, land use change).The AAP process will therefore need to be managed to ensure thatthe AAP does not overtake the Core Strategy. It will need to ensurethat the Core Strategy is fully resolved in terms of the broad spatialstrategy for Cinderford and any contentious issues relating to theNorthern Quarter are incorporated within the AAP rather than theCore Strategy. Potential issues will be consulted upon and testedas part of the preferred options process for the AAP and resolvedin broad terms of environmental / sustainability and during themasterplanning phase.The consultant team attended a meeting with representatives ofthe Government Office in February 2009. It was confirmed that thePlanning Inspectorate has recently indicated that the Examinationprocess in the region is estimated to be six or seven months ratherthan 12 months. In this context, GOSW feel comfortable with theproposed degree of overlap in the Examination process between CoreStrategy and AAP. GOSW stated that they are comfortable in principlewith a February 2010 submission as this will enable any amendmentsto be made to the AAP following initial informal feedback from theInspector in relation to the Core Strategy.The Cinderford Business Plan was commissioned by the CinderfordRegeneration Board in April 2006 in order to plan out and driveforward the regeneration of Cinderford over a ten year period. TheCinderford Business Plan Issues and Options Report was published inFebruary 2007 and contains issues and four different spatial optionsfor Cinderford. These were consulted on in detail and comprise theIssues and Options stage of this AAP process.In order to take these issues and options through to PreferredOption stage as part of the AAP production, the Business Planissues and spatial options will be reviewed and assessed througha masterplanning process. From this, strategic policies and designguidance will be drawn up which can be adopted in the form of astatutory AAP. The AAP will also articulate the planning rationalebehind each of the Business Plan options, and demonstrate robustgrounds for choosing the preferred option, informed by an up-todatereview of planning policy, the local evidence base and Issues andOptions consultation feedback.Retail capacity study and town centre contextThe Forest of Dean District Retail Study (October 2008) provides anup-to-date review of national, regional and local retail policies andtrends. In view of these, the study evaluates retail provision within theForest of Dean in order to make a series of policy recommendations.Cinderford is the second largest town centre in the district in terms ofretail and commercial unit numbers and is identified in the GloucesterLocal Plan as a principal retail centre. The settlement experiencessignificant leakage of comparison expenditure to nearby regionalshopping centres Bristol, Gloucester and Cheltenham and theproximity of the Forest of Dean market towns (Lydney, Cinderford andColeford) to each other creates local competition, which has limitedthe level of retail expansion experienced by them. Alongside goodaccess to nearby regional shopping centres, comparison expenditureleakage is also attributed to a shortage of car parking, poor qualityof existing parking capacity and poor visual appearance of the towncentre. Within the town centre, comparison uses are below thenational average and vacancy rates are currently high.In view of this, the retail study recommends provision of higher levelsof comparison floorspace (quantitative need of 1,150sq m net by 2012,rising to 2,290sq m net by 2021), provided within the town centreboundary. The study also sees a clear justification for a new largefoodstore which can help retain greater levels of main food shoppingtrips, taking into consideration its impact on the financial performanceof surrounding settlements, particularly Coleford.In support of this, the strategy supports enhancements to Cinderfordwhich will make it more attractive to visitors, particularly regardingpedestrian movement and access to parking provision, and measuresto reduce vacancies. A study has recently been undertaken toexamine opportunities to improve the public realm in Cinderfordwhich would play a key role in enhancing the retail experience.Overall, the study identifies clear potential and justification for arevised market share approach to convenience retailing in Cinderford.Assuming a 100% retention of all convenience shopping fromCinderford and there being no change in the level of inflow fromwithin or outside of the study area, then there will be capacity for anadditional 1,070sq m net by 2012, rising to 1,260sq m net by 2021.This approach is in line with policy options for the other key towns (i.e.self containment), although there is potential for this capacity levelto increase where convenience expenditure from other parts of thestudy area is utilised to support a new store.The Retail Capacity Study states that “...the rugby club site is the mostappropriate for large scale retail provision, in addition to smaller siteselsewhere in the town centre which are likely to be more suitable forsmaller scale retail uses. However, in order for the rugby club site tofunction as a true extension to the core shopping area there will need tobe a reasonable prospect of pedestrian linkages between the store andcentre.”32 Cinderford Northern Quarter Baseline Report / April 2009Alan Baxter