3.1 In preparing our Neighbourhood Plan we are obliged, by law, to:
3.2 We have been mindful of the current national planning framework as set out in the 2019 publication3, supplemented by the Planning Practice Guidance relating to neighbourhood planning matters which is published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government via a dedicated website4.
3.3 The more local strategic context is provided by the West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan. The current Local Plan was adopted on 15th October 2015. “It controls which new buildings will be built and where they should go. Nationally there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development and local councils are expected to plan positively for the needs of their area.
3.4 The Local Plan is the main basis for making decisions on planning applications. Planning decisions must be made in accordance with the Local Plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. And it gives local communities, developers and investors greater certainty about the types of applications that are likely to be approved. The Local Plan sits alongside the National Planning Policy Framework, which must also be taken into account in making decisions on planning applications and in the preparation of local and neighbourhood development plans.5”
3.5 The Local Plan recognises that important role that a neighbourhood plan can play. “Neighbourhood development plans, when adopted, will form part of the development plan. These are prepared by the local community (such as the parish or town council, or elsewhere a neighbourhood forum). These can be as simple, or as detailed, as local people want, provided that they are in line with national planning policy, and the strategic policies of the Local Plan. Where they are in conflict, the policies contained in the neighbourhood development plan will effectively replace the non-strategic policies in the Local Plan for that neighbourhood.6”
3.6 The adopted Local Plan includes a specific policy on neighbourhood plans. Its Policy SUS5 states that neighbourhood plans should:
Communities preparing neighbourhood development plans will need to show how their proposals are in general conformity with this strategic approach”.
3.7 The adopted West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan, alongside its policies covering the plan area, has three specific policies for Portland. These are intended to help realise the Borough Council’s vision for Portland: “In 2031, Portland:
3.8 In finding the new Local Plan ‘sound’ in 2015, the Inspector recommended that an early review should be undertaken primarily because the Local Plan did not make adequate provision for the whole of the plan period (2011 to 2031). The Inspector also noted that the councils’ five-year supply of housing land was close to the minimum required to provide choice and competition.
3.9 The Review got underway early in 2017. Whilst housing numbers was a focus, the local planning authority has also taken the opportunity to look at other aspects where recent evidence or Government policy changes has had an impact on the 2015 Plan. These include the need to develop a more comprehensive and effective approach to managing green infrastructure; the changing nature of employment and growth opportunities; Government housing initiatives; climate change and erosion and sustainable energy. Matters that have an impact too, on neighbourhood planning for Portland.
3.10 A dialogue was established at that time between the Neighbourhood Plan Management Group and the local planning authority, which has been maintained. This has enabled us to frame our approach and policies in the knowledge of what is emerging from the Local Plan Review and to influence that Review from a Portland Neighbourhood Plan perspective, whilst remaining in conformity with the strategic policies of the presently adopted Local Plan. The Submission Version of the Neighbourhood Plan has been influenced by the ‘Preferred Options’ publication8 that was out for consultation between August and October 2018. Chapter 8 of the Preferred Options document relates to Portland. The proposed strategy for the reviewed and revised Local Plan is to meet the housing needs of the Island through the redevelopment of brownfield sites and existing allocations (i.e. sites already allocated in the current Local Plan). This approach is consistent with the approach taken in the Neighbourhood Plan.
3.11 The West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan Review is no longer being taken forward, but work has commenced on a new Local Plan for the Dorset Council area, which is scheduled to be adopted by 2024. Dorset Council intends to use all work carried out on the Local Plan Review, where possible, to shape the new Dorset Council Local Plan.
3.12 The Economic Plan for Portland sets out the vision, objectives and proposed interventions towards securing economic growth of Portland over the next 15 years. It is a most important document that represents a joint approach, consensus and shared vision as to how the Portland economy should develop and grow to bring most benefit to those that live or work on the island and have the community’s best interests at heart. It has provided a major building block for the Neighbourhood Plan.
3.13 The Economic Plan sets out the shared vision and five strategic objectives for transforming the economic prospects of Portland. It includes too a set of actions that can be turned into reality on the ground.
3.14 The Economic Vision for Portland is:
“Drawing upon our key strengths, the island will be a leader in innovative business, destination development, maritime services and low carbon technologies, connecting its residents and businesses to more opportunities, and providing an ideal environment to grow, start and locate a business. Portland will be a leading player in the thriving Western Dorset Growth Corridor and to the UK.”
3.15 The strategic objectives are as follows:
SO1 Business Transformation: To support the growth and development of a vibrant business community focusing interventions on those growing and opportunity sectors, including the maritime, advanced engineering and renewable energy, capable of delivering higher skilled, higher waged jobs
SO2 Destination Development: To support the sustainable growth of the visitor economy, which celebrates the unique strengths of Portland, supports jobs and generates business opportunities
SO3 Low Carbon Economy: Capitalising on its natural resources and advantages, support the development of a low carbon economy, specifically renewable
SO4 Employment and Skills: To support the delivery of an appropriately skilled, motivated and productive workforce to drive economic growth
SO5 Infrastructure Improvements: To ensure the provision of adequate infrastructure improvements as a basis to secure smart economic growth
3.16 An important focus both in terms of developing and delivering the Economic Plan is the local community taking the lead in shaping the island’s economy for the benefit of all communities. “The involvement and participation of local groups and local people will continue during the delivery phase to empower communities to maintain a sense of place, become more resilient given economic challenges and opportunities and increase their well-being.”9
3.17 Almost the whole of the neighbourhood area is designated as a mineral safeguarding area. Portland stone is derived principally from a 9m thick bed known as the Freestone which occurs within the Portland Limestone Group. It is overlain in most places by several metres of thinly bedded limestones and clays (‘the Caps’) and is underlain by 20-30 metres of limestone known as the Cherty Series. This is unsuitable for building stone because of its high chert (a type of silica) content, however, the Cherty Series and the Caps can be crushed for use as aggregate.
3.18 The Neighbourhood Plan must be in conformity with the strategic policies of the Minerals and Waste Plans which form part of the Development Plan. The policies of the Neighbourhood Plan must be in general conformity with the Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Minerals Strategy (2014), the Minerals Sites Plan (2019) and the Waste Plan (2019). The Minerals Strategy includes a specific policy, PD1, relating to ‘Underground Mining and High Wall Extraction of Portland Stone’10.
3.19 The NPPF (para. 204) requires local planning authorities to define ‘Mineral Safeguarding Areas’ (MSAs) to protect known locations of specific mineral resources from sterilisation; to safeguard transport and processing facilities, and to seek prior extraction of minerals where it is necessary for non-mineral development to take place. Significantly, it also states that planning policies should also “ensure that worked land is reclaimed at the earliest opportunity… and that high-quality restoration and aftercare of mineral sites takes place”. Because of the number and quality of quarries on Portland, it is no surprise that most of the Island is designated part of an MSA, under Policy SG1 of the Minerals Strategy. It is also defined as a ‘Mineral Consultation Area’ by Policy SG2. Policy SG3 safeguards operational and permitted mineral sites. Together the policies of the Mineral Strategy seek to protect important mineral resources from unnecessary sterilisation.
3.20 The Mineral Safeguarding Area for Portland is the same as the ‘Mineral Consultation Area’ (see Map 3). Within this area non-minerals development will be resisted if it appears likely to sterilise mineral resources, or hinder future mineral development. The Mineral Planning Authority will be consulted over any non-mineral development within the Mineral Safeguarding Area.
3.21 The definition of development triggering a consultation in the Minerals Strategy is:
In order to exclude the majority of routine householder or other (including employment, office and retail) applications, development within the curtilage of an existing property does not require consultation”.
3.22 This does not mean that development cannot take place within the MCA. As the Strategy says “the designation of a Minerals Safeguarding Area does not indicate that there is a presumption in favour of extraction, nor does it indicate certainty of location of high quality or economically viable mineral deposits. There is no expectation that permission would be granted for development in these areas”.
3.23 Over recent years there have been many outside bodies that have expressed views on how Portland should develop in future. We respect their right to take a view and, in most cases, we acknowledge their well-intentioned advice. Too often however, Portlanders have felt they are being planned for and not planned with.
3.24 The opportunity, afforded by the Localism Act 2012, to prepare our own Neighbourhood Plan has been both liberating and energising. It has not been easy. Portland may be a distinct geographical entity, but it is also a complex network of inter-rated issues and opportunities that are made even more complicated by the aspirations of those who regard Portland primarily as place to live and those that wish to exploit its location and natural assets primarily for business or tourism purposes. The Portland Neighbourhood Plan represents an attempt to reconcile these, sometimes diverse, interests and put in place an acceptable development strategy that will facilitate Growth with a Purpose. To achieve this, our approach is one of evolution rather than revolution.
3.25 Portland is rich in assets both natural and man-made. In the past, Portland was a relatively self-sustaining community. The size of the population was closely linked to the availability of resources and food production. Settlements grew up around water courses and there was little movement both within settlements and on and off the mainland. Fishing and agriculture provided the main economic income streams. Wind and solar opportunities were taken e.g. Portland windmills and East Coat Salt Pans. Virtually all houses and field walls would have been constructed from Portland stone, many by quarrymen using spoil stone for their own purposes. Waste would have been largely natural and reusable or recyclable.
3.26 Things started to change when stone began to be extracted in larger quantities. In recognition of this, the Crown (Charles II) established a scheme to recompense the community for the loss of land (herbage) which has continued to this day. This scheme in many respects reflects the current trend towards stewardship income streams.
3.27 As the population further expanded through the arrival of the Navy and Prisons, the need to improve access and expand utilities brought an increased reliance on the mainland, which persists to the present day.
3.28 We are proud of what Portland is and has been. The Neighbourhood Plan represents the land use and development aspect of a wider renewal strategy that will maintain Portland’s unique character whilst helping all its inter-dependent components to flourish in a way that increases the resilience and sustainability of the Island and its communities.
3.29 The Neighbourhood Plan reflects a strong desire to:
and whilst doing so:
3.30 ‘Responsible use’ means taking a full and balanced account of the interests of society, future generations, and other species, as well as of private needs, and accepting significant answerability to society, for the policies we put in place and the decisions and actions we take.
3 National Planning Policy Framework, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, February 2019
4 http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/
5 West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan http://www.planvu.co.uk/wdwp/written/cpt1.htm
6 West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan http://www.planvu.co.uk/wdwp/written/cpt1.htm
7 West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan http://www.planvu.co.uk/wdwp/written/cpt8.htm
9 ‘Future Portland’, Portland Economic Vision and Plan (2015-2030), Portland Community Partnership, Nov 2015 https://www.portlandplan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Economic-Vision-for-Portland-280116-Submitted-Version.pdf
10 Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole Minerals Strategy Part 2 (2014) https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/planning-buildings-land/planning-policy/dorset-county-council/minerals-planning-policy/mineral-strategy/minerals-strategy.aspx
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