Local Development Framework Consultation

I have read the guidance notes

AS01 - Development Strategy

Yes

Yes

Silverdale Parish Council wishes to express its strong support for the publication of the Arnside & Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Development Plan Document, for the following reasons:

1. It considers that both the Parish Council and the wider community has had the opportunity and been encouraged, to participate extensively in the creation of the document at all stages of the process.

2. Communication of the intent, purpose, process and content as it evolved, has in the Council’s opinion, been carried out widely by clear and accessible means, helping to ensure the community was made aware and, where they chose to, could readily participate.

3. Feedback with adequate explanation of how decisions were reached, has been provided to help community understanding, especially for points relating to more complex and contentious matters.

4. The Parish Council strongly supports the landscape led approach to the task which it regards as particularly important in order to respect and support the founding reasons for the AONB designation and its future continuance.

5. In view of recent experiences, we are particularly supportive of the proposal to require Affordable housing provision of at least 50% of new development. This is considered most important due to the current, acute, lack of, smaller and more affordable starter homes for young people and families in the village. If this can be upheld and implemented, it would begin a movement towards balancing the age profile of the village and improve the vibrancy, inclusiveness and sustainability of the community.

6. Silverdale, its surrounding hamlets and holiday lodge parks is one of the largest agglomerations of population in the country not having a public wastewater system. All properties have either individual, or shared, private facilities ranging from primitive through to a few instances of more modern treatment plants. One of the principal reasons being the proximity to the surface of the limestone bedrock, which in many places has only a thin soil covering. The complexities and costs of providing a full public system are understood to be extremely high, due to these ground issues. The water services provider, United Utilities, has confirmed it has no plans in place for a public wastewater system, nor anything envisaged in its long-term programme.

7. The wastewater provisions in the DPD were requested to help protect the environment and public health from further risk from private wastewater discharges. We ask that these measures are upheld.

8. We have become aware of the European Waste Water Directive which has been interpreted as placing an absolute restriction on any further new development in areas where the agglomeration of population in the drainage zone exceeds 2000 persons equivalent. For the Silverdale area drainage zone, it has been calculated that approximately 3250 persons equivalents has already been reached.

9. The Parish Council welcomed the joint collaborative team approach by South Lakes District Council and Lancaster City Council to the task of creating the DPD. We believe this has enabled the creation of a strong document, which should help ensure consistency in development decisions throughout the AONB. We would like to express our gratitude to the team members from both authorities for their work on our behalf and the manner in which it has been carried out.

Please notify me