Colchester Submission Draft Local Plan Regulation 19 Consultation 2026
13. Monitoring Comment
13.1It is essential that the policies that are set out in the Local Plan are effective and more importantly, that they are delivering the Plan’s vision and objectives. Every year the Council publishes an Authority Monitoring Report (AMR). The AMR plays an important role monitoring the Local Plan.
13.2The monitoring framework below provides an initial basis for assessing how the Plan’s policies and objectives are being implemented and whether they are achieving the intended outcomes. The framework draws on the monitoring measures identified through the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) process and will help inform future reporting through the Authority Monitoring Report (AMR).
13.3The monitoring framework has been influenced by the indicators included in the SA Scoping Report (2024), alongside indicators received through consultation on the SA Scoping Report. Indicators have been selected to provide a proportionate and practical basis for monitoring, focusing where possible on measures that are clear, measurable and supported by data that is available or can be accessed from reliable sources. In many cases, monitoring will draw on information collected by the Council, while data provided by external organisations, such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, Historic England, Essex County Council and national datasets, may also be used. The indicators may be refined, amended or supplemented over the plan period in response to changes in data availability, monitoring outcomes or issues identified through the AMR process.
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Monitoring Framework |
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Relevant policies |
Indicator |
Target |
Source |
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SA Objective 1: Provide a sufficient level of housing to meet needs and enable people to live in decent, safe, sustainable and affordable homes. |
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Net housing completions per annum |
To deliver 1,276 homes per annum. |
Development Management |
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Number and percentage of affordable housing units delivered by tenure (Social Rent, Affordable Rent, Shared Ownership and other intermediate products). |
Deliver affordable housing in accordance with Local Plan Policy H2 requirements and identified local need. Seek an overall affordable tenure split of 80% affordable rented housing and 20% intermediate housing, with Social Rent prioritised where viable. |
Development Management Housing Services Appeals |
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Number of serviced self and custom build plots secured and delivered on major developments of 100+dwellings. |
Deliver self and custom build plots in accordance with Policy H6. |
Development Management |
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Specialist, accessible and wheelchair-user housing delivered, including retirement housing, extra care housing, supported housing, care accommodation and M4(3) wheelchair-user dwellings. |
Meet the identified specialist accommodation and accessibility needs. |
Development Management |
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Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople pitches or plots permitted and delivered against identified need. |
Meet specialist accommodation needs identified in the latest evidence base and Local Plan policy. |
Development Management |
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Households on the Housing Register and homelessness households. |
Monitor whether housing delivery is addressing identified housing need. |
Housing Register |
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SA Objective 2: Support the efficient use of land. |
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Delivery of development on previously developed land. |
Maximise the appropriate use of previously developed land while maintaining a deliverable supply of sites. |
Brownfield Register |
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SA Objective 3: Achieve a prosperous and sustainable local economy that improves employment and training opportunities and supports the vitality and viability of centres. |
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Permissions granted for employment and leisure by type. |
Maintain a sufficient supply of employment floorspace to meet identified needs over the plan period. |
Development Management |
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Economically active and inactive population. |
Improve economic participation and monitor local labour market resilience. |
ONS Annual Population Survey |
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SA Objective 4: Reduce the need to travel and promote sustainable and active transport options to reduce congestion. |
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Modal split and self-containment via local transport evidence (where available). |
Increase the proportion of journeys made by sustainable and active modes and reduce reliance on single-occupancy car travel. |
Development Management Essex County Council Transport Monitoring |
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Travel Plans secured for major residential and commercial developments. |
Secure and implement Travel Plans where required by policy. |
Development Management |
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SA Objective 5: Promote stronger, more resilient and inclusive communities, improve health and wellbeing and reduce deprivation. |
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Key community infrastructure delivered through planning obligations. |
Secure and deliver community infrastructure required to support planned growth. |
Development Management |
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Life expectancy and health inequality indicators. |
Monitor health outcomes and support actions that contribute to reduced inequalities. |
Health stakeholders |
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SA Objective 6: Provide access to services, facilities and education. |
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Key community, education and service infrastructure delivered through planning obligations and infrastructure programmes. |
Deliver infrastructure required to support planned growth and maintain access to key services. |
Development Management |
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SA Objective 7: Conserving and enhancing townscape character, heritage and cultural assets. |
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Recorded loss of Listed Buildings Grade I, Grade II*, Scheduled Monuments or nationally important archaeological sites to development. |
No loss of designated heritage assets as a result of development contrary to policy. |
Development Management/ Historic England |
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Heritage assets on the Heritage at Risk Register. |
Reduce assets at risk and avoid new assets being added due to neglect or harmful development. |
Historic England Heritage at Risk Register |
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Local List additions and losses, including non-designated heritage assets. |
Support positive conservation outcomes and maintain an up-to-date Local List. |
Council Local List |
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SA Objective 8: Protect, conserve, enhance and restore biodiversity and promote and conserve geodiversity. |
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Amount of development in designated biodiversity or geodiversity areas. |
Avoid adverse impacts on protected sites and secure appropriate mitigation where development is permitted. |
Development Management |
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Planning applications approved contrary to Environment Agency or Natural England advice. |
No permissions granted contrary to statutory environmental advice unless fully justified and mitigated. |
Development Management |
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Number and area of Local Nature Reserves and Local Wildlife Sites. |
Maintain or increase the extent and positive management of local nature conservation sites. |
Essex Wildlife Trust |
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Compliance with Essex Coast RAMS requirements. |
Secure RAMS mitigation for relevant development in line with adopted requirements. |
Development Management |
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Biodiversity net gain secured and delivered, including habitat sites and strategic allocations. |
Secure statutory biodiversity net gain and deliver habitat commitments through development and strategic site allocations. |
Development Management |
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SA Objective 9: Conserve and enhance the character and distinctiveness of the landscape. |
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Amount of development in designated landscapes and sensitive landscape areas. |
Avoid unacceptable harm to landscape character and secure mitigation/enhancement where development is permitted. |
Development Management |
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SA Objective 10: Minimise greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. |
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Renewable and low-carbon energy installed by type and capacity. |
Increase renewable and low-carbon energy capacity delivered through development and standalone schemes. |
Development Management (where not under Permitted Development) |
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Emissions produced in the Colchester City Centre area |
Downward trend over the plan period. |
Council Monitoring/DESNZ Statistics/ONS, |
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SA Objective 11: Manage and reduce flood risk from all sources. |
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Number and proportion of major schemes incorporating sustainable drainage and water management measures. |
Ensure major development incorporates appropriate flood risk management and sustainable drainage measures. |
Development Management |
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SA Objective 12: Reduce waste generation and increase levels of reuse and recycling. |
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Household recycling rate and residual waste generation. |
Meet the Council’s KPI’s. |
Council Waste Monitoring |
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SA Objective 13: Protect and improve air quality. |
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Number and extent of Air Quality Management Areas. |
Improve air quality and support achievement of AQMA objectives. |
Air Quality Management Areas records |
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Levels of pollution in the air. |
To ensure pollution levels are not increasing. |
Air Quality Annual Status Reporting |
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SA Objective 14: Protect the quality and quantity of water resources. |
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Number and proportion of major schemes incorporating water management, water efficiency and SuDS measures. |
Ensure development is supported by appropriate water management and efficiency measures. |
Development Management |
