Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025

Policy CS1: Retention of Community Facilities Comment

The Council will seek the retention of all existing community and social infrastructure including facilities and services and allocations/proposals for such uses where they meet or will meet an identified local need.

Any proposal that would result in the loss of a site or building currently or last used for, or allocated for the provision of community / social infrastructure including community facilities, services, leisure or cultural activities that benefit the community, will only be supported in cases where the Council is satisfied that:

1. An alternative, equivalent community facility to meet local needs is, or will be, provided in an equally or more accessible location within a minimum walking distance of the locality (800m or the minimum distance based on that appropriate for the facility being provided as set out in the relevant evidence); or
2. It has been proven to the satisfaction of the Council that there is no longer a proven need for the community facility; and
3. It has been proven tothe satisfaction of the Council based on written evidence as detailed in a-c below, submitted with the Planning Application, that it would not be economically viable to retain the site/building for the existing or an alternative community use; and (in all cases)
4. The community facility could not be provided or operated by either the current occupier or by any alternative occupier, and it has been marketed to the satisfaction of the Council in order to confirm that there is no interest for any community use and the site or building is genuinely redundant.

The evidence of the marketing requirements for (b) and (c) must provide;

1. evidence that it has been offered on the open market as a whole (parts having not been identified for separate sale) and at a realistic market value. This should be for a period of not less than six months by a competent agent;
2. Evidence should include sales literature, details of approaches, and details of offers; and
3. Evidence that the local community has been notified in writing of the intention to close the facility and has not, within a period of six months come forward with a realistic proposal to assume operation of the facility, including its proposals to finance and operate the facility.

Applicants proposing to redevelop or convert social and community facilities serving local communities will be expected to consult with those communities about the relative importance of the facilities which could be lost and submit evidence of that engagement with a planning application. This should also show evidence of consideration as to whether the community facility satisfactorily meets the needs of the local community, including any potential for combining or rationalising facilities where appropriate. This must be informed by the most up to date relevant evidence.

Policy CS2: Enhancement of and Provision for Community Facilities Comment

The provision and enhancement of community facilities and services will be supported where they contribute to the quality of community life and the maintenance of cohesive and sustainable communities.

Where necessary to mitigate the impacts of the development, the Council will require developers of residential schemes to provide or contribute towards the provision / enhancement of community facilities including education, to meet the needs of new and expanded communities and mitigate impacts on existing communities. These will be secured through the use of planning conditions and by Section 106 contributions or CIL/equivalent infrastructure levy. Contributions may be pooled towards larger community infrastructure projects to cumulatively contribute towards provision on a larger scale where a need has been identified.

Where existing facilities can be enhanced to serve new development, the Council will work with developers and local partners to audit existing facilities and deliver any requirements for such facilities to deliver comprehensive provision of services to serve these extended communities.

Policy CS3: Education Provision Comment

Sites that are in private or public education use or have recently ceased to be used for education purposes will be protected for that use.

Where in whole or in part educational use of a site is demonstrated to be redundant (supported by appropriate evidence which confirms the facility / site is genuinely redundant) or proposals for alternative use are put forward, re-development of buildings and/or the grounds will be supported where the local community is and will remain adequately served by alternative provision and receipts from the sale of land will be invested in improved or expanded education facilities. Proposals should be considered in relation to the scale and quality of any replacement facility and its location and accessibility within the area.

Where the proposal involves a state funded school which is seeking to relocate into new buildings or sell assets to fund improved education this will be supported in principle subject to meeting other relevant requirements of this plan.

The Council will respond positively to appropriate and well-designed applications regarding the creation of new school and education facilities. As expressed in the NPPF, the Council will use a presumption in favour of the development of schools and educational uses. The Council will engage in pre-application discussions with promoters to develop a collaborative approach to suitable applications.

Policy CS4: Sports Provision Comment

The Council will work with the Sports Delivery Group, Sports England, governing bodies and sports providers across the city to protect, enhance and deliver new and improved sports and leisure facilities to encourage active lifestyles and to increase participation in formal and informal recreation.

All outdoor sports facilities will be protected for sports use. Loss of outdoor sports facilities (including lapsed or disused facilities) will only be supported where at least one of the following criteria is met:

1. a carefully quantified and documented assessment of current and future needs has demonstrated to the satisfaction of Sport England and the Council that there is an excess of playing field provision in the catchment, and the site has no special significance to the interests of sport;
2. The proposed development is for ancillary facilities supporting the principal use of the site as a playing field and does not affect the quantity and quality of playing pitches or otherwise adversely affect their use;
3. The playing field or fields to be lost as a result of the proposed development would be replaced, prior to the commencement of development, by a new playing field site or sites of equivalent or better quality and of equivalent or greater quantity in a suitable location and subject to equivalent or better management arrangements;
4. The proposed development is for an indoor or outdoor facility for sport, the provision of which would be of sufficient benefit to the development of sport as to outweigh the detriment caused by the loss, or prejudice of use, of the area of playing field.

All major residential development proposals must assess the need for new sports provision including grass and 3G football pitches and cricket squares on an individual basis and utilise the findings of the Playing Pitch Strategy to determine needs. Any need generated by the development will need to be provided by the applicant to the satisfaction of the Council and Sports England. Where a housing development is not of a size to justify on-site sports provision, contributions will be required to improve existing sites or towards new facilities within the locality.

Where a development is of a size to justify on-site sports provision, discussions should take place with the Council to determine what should be provided and how it should be managed and maintained. All new sports facilities and pitches must have community use agreements in place.

Policy CS5: Tourism, Leisure, Arts, Culture and Heritage Comment

1. Development of new and extended visitor attractions, leisure, cultural and heritage facilities along with visitor accommodation (including hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation, self-catering accommodation, holiday lodges, static and touring caravans and camping sites) will be supported in suitable locations subject to meeting other policy requirements and minimising their impact on, and demonstrating how the development will make a positive contribution to neighbouring areas, respect the settings of heritage assets and provide biodiversity enhancements (in addition to biodiversity net gain) and environmental net gain where appropriate. Any new large scale visitor attractions should be in line with the spatial strategy.
2. Proposals for tourism, leisure, arts, culture and heritage facilities should be appropriate in scale and function to the surrounding area and existing uses in the immediate vicinity; be accessible by a choice of means of transport and promote active travel; and not cause significant harm to the amenity of people living and working nearby.
3. Proposals in the countryside should help to support existing communities and facilities. Proposals must be compatible with the landscape character of the surrounding area and avoid causing undue harm to the open nature of the countryside and local wildlife sites. Where accessibility is poor, proposals should be small scale and/or involve the change of use of existing buildings or small-scale extension to existing tourist facilities.
4. Proposals that are likely to have an adverse impact on the integrity of habitats sites or the Dedham Vale National Landscape will not be supported.
5. In locations where residential use would be inappropriate, developments of visitor accommodation, where supported, will be limited by condition or legal agreement to holiday use only and/or certain periods of the year in order to prevent permanent or long-term occupation.

Policy CS6: Caravan Parks Comment Fen Farm Caravan Park (1) Seaview Caravan Park (2) Firs Chase Caravan Park (3) Waldgraves Caravan Park (4) Copper Beach Caravan Park (5) Fen Farm Caravan Park (6)

Development proposals at caravan parks, including change of use, intensification of an existing use, or change in activities on site will only be supported where they meet all the following criteria:

1. Anglian Water Services confirm that there is adequate wastewater treatment and sewage infrastructure capacity to serve the caravan park and avoid adverse impacts on water quality;
2. Help protect the integrity of habitats sites and minimise disturbance to designated breeding and wintering species. Any future extensions to caravan parks by the coast will require their own Habitat Regulations Assessment, including appropriate assessment where necessary, and must demonstrate how any avoidance or mitigation measures identified in the appropriate assessment will be delivered;
3. Minimise impact on the amenity of residents or businesses living or operating near the site;
4. Are supported with a site-specific Flood Risk Assessment and Flood Management and Flood Evacuation Plan. Proposals for caravan extensions in flood zone 3 will not generally be supported due to the increased risk to people and property from coastal flooding;
5. Are supported by measures to promote sustainable and active travel for leisure;
6. Any outdoor lighting proposed must follow dark sky lighting principles to ensure that lighting avoids light pollution, avoids any further reduction in tranquillity and protects landscape character and wildlife. Any lighting proposed should be justified, directed to where it is needed to avoid spill and comply with relevant standards and best practice from the Institute of Lighting Professionals and UK Dark Skies Partnership;

Permission will not be granted for visitor accommodation at the caravan parks to be used as permanent residences. Visitor accommodation will be limited by condition or legal agreement to holiday use only and/or certain periods of the year in order to prevent permanent residences.