Fears of city centre free-for-all as Derriford and Seaton Area Action Plan declared "unsound"

Plymouth's city centre could bear the brunt of a developer free-for-all in the north of the city, Council leader Tudor Evans has warned.

A planned and co-ordinated approach to encourage long term growth has been thrown up in the air, he said, as a result of a Government inspector declaring the Derriford and Seaton Area Action Plan likely to be found unsound.

The inspector's initial findings have been published and could signal a new era of uncertainty - particularly for the city centre, warned Councillor Evans and he said: “We are still trying to figure out the implications of this judgement, but we are worried, very worried. This could lead to piecemeal developments that could jeopardise the economic future of the city centre."

Area Action Plans are designed to encourage local people, businesses, agencies and developers to have a say in creating a place people want to live, work and visit. They are intended to be used as blueprints for developers to help foster a sense of community as well as encourage interest and investment.

The Council’s plans had spelt out an ambition that could lead to up to 3,000 new homes being built, the creation of 8,000 new jobs together with nearly 18,000 square metres of retail floor space as well as a new community park and community facilities. A key aspect of the plan was to steer development and investment, particularly retail, in a way that would not interfere with the shops in the city centre.

“I understand that other local plans are being declared unsound across the country because they do not meet the Government’s new planning rules. The National Planning Policy Framework was supposed to be all about creating opportunities for economic growth and empowering local people to determine the future of their areas. But where is growth? Where is localism in this decision? We will be talking to the Local Government Association and the Royal Town Planning Institute to see if they have hit this same wall.”

Councillor Evans said: “We have a great track record of creating these plans and have applied the same thoroughness to this one we have to all others and are seen as a leading light in planning. Now it looks as though the goal posts have moved.”

Planning officers have written to the inspector asking for clarification on a number of matters following the publication of the inspector’s preliminary findings, particularly the inspectors comments which argued the plan did not have enough evidence of how infrastructure schemes would be funded over the period of the AAP - up to 2021.

Councillor Evans said: “You would be hard-pressed to find any council that could provide this. The decision undermines the Council’s attempts to make the city attractive to investors. Area Action Plans are supposed to provide some level of certainty. By being asked to provide evidence that we could only get through a crystal ball, it is basically stopping growth in its tracks.”

The inspector acknowledged that given the scale of the airport site and the interest in the issue, the Council's approach to have this matter determined through the Plymouth Plan rather than the Area Action Plan was reasonable, but argued that the Area Action Plan could not be advanced without this matter being determined.

Derriford and Seaton play an important role in the economic life of the city and is home to Derriford Hospital, Tamar Science Park, Plymouth International Medical and Technology Park, University College Plymouth St Mark and St John as well as large retailers.

The plan set out how historic assets such as the Crownhill Fort and Drakes Leat will be protected. Other elements include:

• Expanding the city’s science, technology and medical employment base and providing new job opportunities in areas such as nursing, administration and hospitality
• New health care facilities, manufacturing and commercial floor space at Plymouth International Medical and Technology Park
• Significantly increasing the employment space available at Tamar Science Park
• Enabling Derriford Hospital to improve and expand facilities including consolidating A and E facilities as well as improvements to children's services and urgent care facilities 
• Student accommodation at Marjons as well as increased public use of sports facilities
• Creating a 137 hectare new community park incorporating parts of the Forder and Bircham valleys
• Encouraging sustainable travel and cutting congestion by improving pedestrian, cycle and public transport links
• New road links between existing and planned communities.
• The process of producing the Derriford and Seaton AAP began in 2009.