Issue - items at meetings - SPD London Road summary

Report of the Director of Environment.

35.1    The Planning Projects Manager introduced the summary report on the results of the consultation on the London Road Central Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The final draft SPD document including an implementation plan would be considered by 17 December Environment Cabinet Member Meeting and will form part of the Local Development Framework.

35.2    Overall the masterplan’s objectives received strong support.     No large-scale changes were being proposed – although modifications are being proposed in response to the consultation, in order to strengthen and clarify the objectives of the Masterplan. The SPD would seek to provide workspace and shop units for local initiatives as well as opportunities for inward investment. It looked to the long term and so needed to be flexible to allow for a variety of economic and development circumstances.  A regularly updated and monitored implementation plan will help to provide a focus to ensure that the masterplan’s objectives are secured.  

35.3    Answering questions the Planning Projects Manager clarified that the document would neither encourage nor discourage a superstore. Existing planning policies already provide the means to allow the potential impact of any such proposals to be fully assessed.  The SPD reflected the LR2 study in that, due to its location, it will inevitably continue to provide for a large volume of through traffic to and from the city centre. Any potential future changes to the wider strategic transportation network that would impact on the London Road area would need to be judged against the masterplan’s objectives including its environmental improvement proposals and the fact that it is within an Air Quality Management Area. More research on movement and traffic flow was needed; the new pedestrian crossing at Oxford Circus in London was an interesting initiative and its feasibility in respect of Preston Circus would be examined.

35.4    Members discussed other details arising from the consultation and thanked the officers.

35.5    RESOLVED that ECSOSC notes the results of the public consultation which will inform the final version of the London Road Central Master plan