Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
13. Monitoring Comment
13.1 The Local Plan is at an early stage in its development. As such, the monitoring measures that have been proposed in the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) report in relation to all of the SA objectives in the SA framework are set out below as the starting point for considering proposals to monitor the Plan. It may be appropriate to narrow down the monitoring framework to focus on a smaller number of the SA objectives for which significant (including uncertain) effects are identified as part of the iterative SA.
13.2 The monitoring framework reflects the indicators included in relation to the SA framework set out in the SA Scoping Report (2024) and reflects indicators received as part of consultation on the SA Scoping Report. The data used for monitoring in many cases will be provided by outside bodies. Information collected by other organisations (e.g. the Environment Agency) can also be used as a source of indicators.
SA Objective
Assessment criteria
Monitoring indicators
1. Provide a sufficient level of housing to meet the objectively assessed needs of the city to enable people to live in a decent, safe, and sustainable home which is affordable
Will it deliver the number of houses needed to support the existing and growing population?
Will it provide more affordable homes?
Will it deliver a range of housing types and tenures including housing for students, gypsies and travellers, and the aging population?
Will it deliver well designed and sustainable homes?
Housing completions per annum (net)
Percentage of affordable housing units provided on qualifying sites
Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation provision (net)
Total Empty Properties (classified as empty for Council Tax purposes)
Length of time Total Empty Properties have been empty
Households on the Housing Register Homelessness households
Households on the Housing Register Homelessness households
2. Support the efficient use of land
Will it lead to development on previously developed land?
Will it minimise the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land?
Will densities make efficient use of land?
Will a mix of uses be provided?
Employment floorspace granted on previously developed land
Monitor modal splits and self-containment via Census
Take-up of Travel Plans
3. Achieve a prosperous and sustainable local economy that improves employment and training opportunities and supports the vitality/viability of centres
Will it improve the range of employment opportunities?
Will it support the vitality and viability of town centres?
Will it support skills and training and changing economies?
Will it support tourism, including an understanding of heritage, and the arts?
Permissions granted for employment and leisure by type
Economically active population
Universal Credit (including Job Seekers Allowance)
Economically inactive population
Number of businesses (total)
Visitor trips numbers
Visitor spend/value
Tourism related employment
4. Reduce the need to travel and promote sustainable and active transport options to reduce congestion
Will it provide good accessibility by a choice of modes of transport?
Will it reduce the reliance on private vehicles?
Will it enhance the active travel network?
Will a mix of uses be provided?
Will it increase development density in higher order service centres?
Will the levels of sustainable and active travel increase?
Monitor modal splits and self-containment via Census
To obtain an agreed Travel Plan for all major commercial/community developments
Proportion of major housing developments with efficient, easy and affordable access to key services by public transport
Bus patronage
5. Promote stronger, more resilient, inclusive communities; improve health and wellbeing; and reduce levels of deprivation
Will it reduce levels of crime, anti-social behaviour and the fear of crime?
Will it reduce the proportion of people living in deprivation?
Will it meet the needs of specific groups including those with protected characteristics?
Will it increase access to open spaces, green infrastructure and recreational facilities, including access to nature?
Will it encourage healthy lifestyles?
Will it facilitate the integration of new neighbourhoods with existing neighbourhoods?
Key community infrastructure delivered through planning obligations
Life expectancy
Obesity rates
6. Provide access to services, facilities, and education
Will it support easy access to a range of high-quality services and facilities?
Will it contribute to improving educational levels of the population of working age, including by improving access to educational facilities?
Key community infrastructure delivered through planning obligations
Educational attainment
Proportion of major housing developments with efficient, easy and affordable access to key services by public transport
7. Conserve and enhance the townscape character, and heritage and cultural assets
Will it conserve and enhance designated and non-designated heritage and cultural assets, including their setting and their contribution to wider local character and distinctiveness?
Recorded loss of Listed Buildings Grade I and II+ (by demolition), Scheduled Monuments or nationally important archaeological sites and assets on the Colchester Local List to development
Number of Listings on the Heritage at Risk Register
Number of Historic parks and GardensAdditions to Colchester's Local List
Number of Conservation Areas
8. Protect, conserve, enhance and restore biodiversity and promote and conserve geodiversity
Will it protect and enhance designated nature conservation assets?
Will it protect, enhance and restore biodiversity, including local wildlife sites?
Will it protect and enhance geodiversity?
Will it protect and enhance ecological networks, including opportunity areas identified through the Essex Local Nature Recovery Strategy?
Will it deliver environmental net gain?
Amount of development in designated areas
Number of planning applications approved contrary to advice given by the EA
Number and area of local nature reserves (LNRs) and local sites (LoWS) within Colchester
Condition of SSSIs
Compliance with Essex Coast RAMS (Recreational disturbance Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy)
Increase in open space
Biodiversity net gain habitat sites
Area of ancient woodland
Number of planning approvals that generated any adverse impacts on sites of acknowledged biodiversity importance.
Hectares of biodiversity habitat delivered through strategic site allocations.
9. Conserve and enhance the character and distinctiveness of the landscape
Will it maintain and enhance landscape character including the Dedham Vale National Landscape?
Will it improve the condition of parks and open spaces?
Will it maintain and enhance the character of settlements?
Amount of development in designated areas
Amount of new development in National Landscape with commentary on likely impact.
10. Minimise greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change
Will it reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Will it plan and implement adaptation measures for the likely effects of climate change?
Will it include energy efficiency measures?
Will it reduce energy consumption?
Will it support the delivery of renewable energy schemes?
Greenhouse Gas Emissions reporting Local Authority Carbon Management Plan
Renewable energy installed by type
11. Manage and reduce flood risk from all sources
Will it limit the amount of development in areas of high flood risk and areas which may increase flood risk elsewhere?
Will it promote the use of SuDS for flood resilience and improving water quality?
Number of major schemes incorporating water management schemes
Recorded flood events
12. Reduce waste generation and increase levels of reuse and recycling
Will it reduce the amount of waste produced?
Will it reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill?
Will it reduce the amount of waste produced?
Will it reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill?
Percentage of residual waste produced per household
Percentage of household waste reused, recycled and composted
13. Protect and improve air quality
Will it improve air quality?
Will it help to achieve the objectives of the Air Quality Management Areas?
Will it reduce emissions of key pollutants?
Number of AQMAs
Exceedances of air quality objectives
14. Protect the quality and quantity of water resources
Will it ensure there is sufficient water for the lifetime of the development in a changing climate without negatively impacting on the environment?
Will it ensure there is sufficient wastewater treatment infrastructure and environmental capacity to accommodate the new development in a changing climate?
Number of major schemes incorporating water management schemes
