Regeneration In Context
National
The Urban White Paper, November 2000, sets the national context for the regeneration of Poole Central Area. It states that 'the Government wants to see people living in attractive well kept towns and cities; planning that makes it possible to live in a more environmentally sustainable way; towns that are able to create and share prosperity'.
Regional
The Secretary of State's published Regional Planning Guidance, September 2001, indicates that Poole, as a Principal urban area, is expected to accommodate housing and employment to meet the needs of the local area in a sustainable way.
Dorset is expected to allow for the provision of 2,650 new dwellings per annum during the period from 1996 to 2016 (much of it within the SE Dorset conurbation). The regional target is to provide 50% of new dwellings on brownfield land, Poole's current figure is 93%.
The South West Regional Development Agency's (SWRDA) 'framework for action' identifies the regeneration of Poole Central Area as a key priority including:
- Areas for regeneration and infrastructure by 'implementing urban renaissance', revitalising and regenerating regional coastal towns
- Improving movement within principal urban areas
- Strengthening port sectors to boost national, European and international trade
- Managing housing and employment growth in a sustainable way
- Utilising brownfield land and integrated transport
- SWRDA's Regional Gateway Strategy, September 2001, identifies the port of Poole as a major hub. It is also an EU designated 'Trans European Network Port' - a second harbour crossing is crucial to maintaining its competitiveness.
Structure Plan
The Regional Strategy is reflected in the Structure Plan for the Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole area. Poole is expected to accommodate 559 new dwellings each year (from 1994) to 2011, with all non-committed development to be accommodated within the built up area.
After a long period of rapid expansion, Poole is expected to remain a growth area. Job creation is required, not to resolve an unemployment problem but because the Borough is required to accommodate significant in-migration.
The Structure Plan anticipates 60,000 new jobs to be created in the Plan period and land must be found to accommodate them in a sustainable way. Research commissioned from independent consultants (Prism Research, June 2000) suggests that most new jobs will be locally generated by firms who need land in order to expand.
Indeed, the Structure Plan notes that half the growth in the economy will be in sectors that do not require traditional industrial estate locations but those that will find the necessary space in mixed developments of the sort anticipated in the regeneration initiative and encouraged in the Government's Urban White Paper.
Local Transport Plan
The Local Transport Plan seeks a £14.14 million government contribution towards the £27million cost of a new integrated transport network. Plymouth University Business School has run a business model that indicates that the regeneration stimulated by a second low-level lifting bridge would boost the sub-regional economy by £300million and create 6,400 full time equivalent jobs.
Poole Local Plan
The Poole Local Plan sets out the land use strategy for the development of Poole up to 2011. Borough of Poole has a clear vision of what the Central Area should be and the Local Plan enables the appropriate development to meet this vision:
The Central Area:
- Is a successful and thriving commercial, social and cultural centre
- Is accessible and easy to move around in
- Utilises its waterfront location and historic environment to its best advantage
- Embraces sustainable development in promoting a location of quality in which people live, work and take leisure.
Supplementary Planning Guidance
The Supplementary Planning Guidance introduces Poole's Central Area and covers the vision and the objectives for the regeneration initiative.
It expands upon policies contained in the Poole Local Plan First Alteration and provides greater detail about the appropriate form of development and about our expectations in respect of that development.
Directgov