Town centre regeneration policy

SP6 - Town centre regeneration policy Purpose 5.87 The purpose of this policy is to recognise the importance of sustaining attractive and thriving town centres within Buckinghamshire, particularly Aylesbury, Chesham and High Wycombe, and continuing to enhance them through directing development towards brownfield sites within town centres. 5.88 The regeneration of these sites will be key to delivering housing and renewing town centre populations, business opportunities, and an enhanced mix of retail, commercial and amenities. 5.89 The council also recognises that the redevelopment of previously developed land entails a greater level of risk, often constraining the speed in which regeneration can happen. 5.90 To facilitate a ‘brownfield first’ strategy in Buckinghamshire, the Council’s Regeneration Team will work with developers to overcome risks associated with redevelopment and ensure their investment in our town centres is viable and continuous throughout the planning period. Flexible approaches may be supported where necessary to enable comprehensive regeneration, provided proposals clearly demonstrate how they will maximise public benefits over the lifetime of the development. Implementation through Development Management Policies 5.91 The delivery of town centre regeneration through Policy SP6 will be supported by the Development Management policies in Chapter 7. Proposals will be expected to accord with policies relating to the Retail Hierarchy, Development within Buckinghamshire's Centres and Development for Main Town Centre Uses Outside Buckinghamshire's Centres. These policies provide the detailed framework for maintaining and enhancing the vitality and viability of Buckinghamshire's centres, supporting an appropriate mix of retail, leisure, commercial, cultural and community uses and ensuring that development is directed to accessible and sustainable locations. 5.92 Development proposals will also be expected to comply with policies relating to Strategic and Key Employment Sites, Other Employment Sites, Small Employment Sites, Skills and Local Employment, Tourism, Community, Sport and Leisure Facilities and Sport, Leisure and Recreation where relevant. Together, these policies support economic growth, investment, employment opportunities, cultural activity and the long-term resilience of Buckinghamshire's town centres. 5.93 In addition, proposals should accord with other relevant Development Management policies relating to Design of Developments, Residential Amenity, Space Standards, Conservation Areas, Heritage Assets, Health Impact Assessment, Community Food Growing, Transport Requirements for New Development, Parking Standards, Public Rights of Way, Infrastructure Delivery, Telecommunications Infrastructure, Biodiversity Protection and Enhancement, Biodiversity Gain and Nature Recovery, Green Infrastructure, Trees, Ancient and Veteran Trees, Woodlands and Orchards, Landscape Character and Visual Amenity, Pollution, Air Quality and Contaminated Land, Flood Risk, Sustainable Drainage Systems and Water Efficiency Standards. Together, these policies ensure that regeneration proposals create attractive, accessible and healthy places, conserve and enhance Buckinghamshire's historic environment, support climate resilience and environmental enhancement, and deliver vibrant town centres that meet the needs of residents, businesses and visitors. This strategic policy is supporting Local Plan objectives 1, 4, 7, and 8. SP6: Town centre regeneration policy 1. In accordance with the town centre first approach set out in national policy, development within defined town centres and identified regeneration areas (as shown on the Policies Map) will be supported where it contributes to comprehensive regeneration, including the delivery of mixed-use development, economic growth, housing, and environmental improvements. 2. Comprehensive regeneration and design-led approach Development proposals on key sites and within regeneration areas must be brought forward through a comprehensive, design-led approach, demonstrating how they: a) contribute to the strategic regeneration objectives of the Buckinghamshire Regeneration Framework. b) support the growth of town centre communities. c) provide commercial and business space. d) deliver high-quality public realm; and e) conserve and enhance heritage assets and their settings. 3. A flexible approach may be supported, subject to clear evidenced justification, where necessary to enable the delivery of comprehensive regeneration, with higher densities where appropriate, provided proposals maximise public benefits over the lifetime of the development. 4. Proposals that would prejudice the delivery of comprehensive regeneration, either individually or cumulatively, will be resisted. 5. Development proposals resulting in the loss or reconfiguration of public car parks in Town Centres must be supported by proportionate evidence of existing and future parking demand, including utilisation levels and appropriate alternative provision. Proposals should demonstrate that parking is either underused or can be appropriately re-provided, managed or offset. Proposals should also demonstrate how the development would utilise and improve sustainable travel options, taking account of the Council’s Parking Standards for New Development set out in Appendix I of the Local Plan. 6. Proposals on key sites and comprehensive regeneration schemes should demonstrate how delivery will be achieved, including phasing, site assembly where relevant, and the use of interim uses where appropriate to support ongoing town centre vitality. 7. Proposals for main town centre uses outside defined centres must demonstrate compliance with the sequential test and, where applicable, impact test requirements. 5.94 Buckinghamshire Council recognises the importance of maintaining attractive, thriving town centres, and continuing to enhance them through directing development towards brownfield sites in town centres. 5.95 Town centres are expected to make a significant contribution to housing delivery through the optimisation of brownfield land, particularly through mixed-use schemes incorporating residential development. 5.96 This policy promotes comprehensive, town centre regeneration specific to each of our town centres to enhance economic vitality in line with Buckinghamshire’s Economic Growth Plan, while supporting social wellbeing and environmental quality. It seeks to ensure development delivers high-quality placemaking and that new developments strengthen and enhance our town centres as vibrant, inclusive and resilient places, as set out in the Buckinghamshire Regeneration Framework and Town Centre Regeneration Strategies. Defined Town Centres 5.97 Within the defined town centres of High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Chesham, and in other town centres defined in policy EC9, development proposals will be supported where they contribute positively to regeneration objectives and demonstrate alignment with the following criteria: Mixed Use and Activity Rich Town Centres 5.98 Town centres should be planned and designed as vibrant, multifunctional places that support living, working, leisure and visitation throughout the day and into the evening. Development must promote a rich and complementary mix of uses, including residential accommodation, employment spaces, hotels and other visitor accommodation, cultural and creative uses, leisure and entertainment, education, healthcare and community facilities, such as our town centre market offering. 5.99 This diversity of uses should be integrated vertically and horizontally to create active streets, adaptable buildings and well-used public spaces. By encouraging activity across weekdays, evenings and weekends, town centres will become more resilient, inclusive and economically sustainable, reducing over-reliance on single-use retail environments and supporting a stronger sense of place. 5.100 On key sites, including publicly owned land and surface car parks, proposals will be expected to optimise the use of land through a comprehensive mixed-use approach, making efficient use of highly accessible locations. Local Character and Distinctiveness 5.101 Proposals must respond positively to the town centre’s distinctive character, heritage assets, prevailing scale and strategic role. Development should reinforce and enhance local identity through high-quality design, including layout, massing, form, materials and active uses. Increased height and density will be supported where it is demonstrably appropriate to the town centre context, respects key heritage considerations, and contributes positively to townscape character, viability and vitality. High Quality Design, Public Realm and Healthy Places 5.102 This policy promotes comprehensive, place-based town centre regeneration to enhance economic vitality in line with Buckinghamshire’s Economic Growth Plan, while supporting social wellbeing and environmental quality. Appropriate increases in density and building height within town centres will be supported where they respond positively to context and contribute to vitality and viability. 5.103 Development must deliver high standards of architectural quality and an inclusive public realm, prioritising pedestrians and cyclists, creating safe, legible and attractive streets and spaces, to and through the development, and reinforcing active frontages. Proposals should incorporate green and blue infrastructure, enhance biodiversity, and create pleasant, well-designed environments that support health and wellbeing. Opportunities to respond positively to environmental considerations, including sustainability, should be considered where appropriate. 5.104 Where it has been clearly demonstrated that the provision of meaningful on-site amenity space is constrained, contributions towards off-site provision and improvements to the public realm will be required. Economic Vitality and Enterprise 5.105 Preference will be given to proposals which not only support Buckinghamshire’s Economic Growth Plan strategic priority of ‘Enhancing place and infrastructure’ but also demonstrate how development will contribute to sustainable productivity and economic growth and bolster local economic resilience by providing flexible and adaptable space for the small and medium-sized enterprises, creative and cultural industries, start-ups and other innovative uses. Where possible, proposals should also help to foster innovation and support the development of skills, training and apprenticeship opportunities to meet local labour market needs. 5.106 Development should promote the vitality and viability of centres by increasing footfall and employment opportunities across both the daytime and night-time economy, including appropriate evening and late-night uses that contribute to a safe, inclusive and attractive environment. Connectivity and Accessibility 5.107 Development must improve physical connectivity within and beyond the town centre, promoting sustainable transport, walking and cycling, and enhancing access to key services and destinations. In recognition of the high level of accessibility typically associated with town centre locations, proposals will be expected to reflect the Council’s approach to reduced parking provision, taking account of the availability of public transport, proximity to services, and opportunities for active travel. Lower parking standards will be supported where development demonstrates good connectivity to sustainable transport networks and key facilities within walking distance. 5.108 Development proposals which will directly impact public car parking provision in Town Centres will be required to assess the adequacy of alternative public car parking in proximity and consider the wider economic and social impact of the removal of parking from such locations. SP7 - Aylesbury town centre policy Implementation 5.109 The Council will work with partners, landowners, developers and the community to deliver the regeneration of Aylesbury Town Centre in accordance with this policy and the Aylesbury Regeneration Strategy. 5.110 Proposals that accord with this policy and contribute positively to the town centre’s role and function will be supported. Purpose 5.111 The purpose of this policy is to support Aylesbury's role as Buckinghamshire's principal town centre by promoting regeneration, investment and growth. The policy supports the vitality and viability of the centre through the delivery of housing, employment, retail, leisure, cultural and community uses, whilst enhancing accessibility, public realm, heritage assets and environmental quality. Implementation through Development Management Policies 5.112 The delivery of regeneration, growth and investment in Aylesbury Town Centre through Policy SP7 will be supported by the Development Management policies in Chapter 7. Proposals will be expected to accord with policies relating to the Retail Hierarchy, Development within Buckinghamshire's Centres and Development for Main Town Centre Uses Outside Buckinghamshire's Centres. These policies provide the detailed framework for maintaining and enhancing the vitality and viability of Aylesbury as Buckinghamshire's principal town centre, supporting an appropriate mix of retail, leisure, commercial, cultural, residential and community uses, and ensuring that development is directed towards accessible and sustainable locations. 5.113 Development proposals should also comply with relevant policies relating to Strategic and Key Employment Sites, Other Employment Sites, Small Employment Sites, Skills and Local Employment, Tourism, Community, Sport and Leisure Facilities and Community Food Growing. Together these policies support economic growth, investment, employment creation, cultural activity and the development of a vibrant and attractive town centre environment. 5.114 In addition, proposals will be expected to accord with relevant Development Management policies relating to Design of Developments, Residential Amenity, Space Standards, Conservation Areas, Heritage Assets, Health Impact Assessment, Transport Requirements for New Development, Parking Standards, Public Rights of Way, Infrastructure Delivery, Telecommunications Infrastructure, Biodiversity Protection and Enhancement, Biodiversity Gain and Nature Recovery, Green Infrastructure, Trees, Ancient and Veteran Trees, Woodlands and Orchards, Landscape Character and Visual Amenity, Pollution, Air Quality and Contaminated Land, Flood Risk, Sustainable Drainage Systems and Water Efficiency Standards. Together, these policies ensure that development contributes to the delivery of a highquality, accessible, healthy and climate-resilient town centre, whilst conserving and enhancing Aylesbury's historic environment, strengthening its role as a sub-regional centre and supporting the creation of a sustainable and distinctive place for residents, businesses and visitors.