Harden Neighbourhood Development Plan - Regulation 16 Consultation
4. COMMUNITY FACILITIES & SERVICES
4.0 INTRODUCTION
4.0.1 Harden has a variety of services and facilities that are valued by the local community. The Neighbourhood Plan is seeking to retain and, where possible, enhance these facilities so that they can continue to serve the community and help reduce the need for residents and visitors to travel outside of the village to access amenities and services. The Plan also supports the creation of new services and facilities in Harden to help meet the changing needs of the community.
4.1 KEY OBJECTIVES:
- Protect existing community facilities and services
- Support the expansion of existing facilities or the development of new facilities or amenities
- Encourage projects that would improve the village's resilience to climate change and/or help reduce the village's carbon footprint
- Encourage new recreational and leisure opportunities
- Improve pedestrian and cycle infrastructure and promote greater use of sustainable transport methods and healthy mobility opportunities for people of all ages and abilities
4.2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IDENTIFIED THAT:
- Through the initial survey, amenities and facilities was the 3rd most popular response when asked what people value the most about Harden.
- 48 people said that they felt the plan should cover community facilities and services.
- Improved community services was the 2nd most popular response when asked what Harden should be like in 15 years.
POLICY HNDP11: COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY
A portion of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money will be used to fund the development, improvement and maintenance of walking and cycling routes, in addition to other identified village projects, which are outlined in the Harden Village Action Plan.
4.2.1 This policy seeks to allocate a portion of CIL funds to maintain and enhance local walking and cycling routes throughout the village. The Plan objectives seek to promote more sustainable and healthier travel choices and to enable this improvements to the local network of footpaths and cycleways are needed.
4.2.2 Throughout initial engagement respondents cited high quality green and open spaces as one of the Village's key assets and the Plan is keen to maintain, and where possible, enhance access to these amenities. Footpaths and cycleways are highly valued and well used by residents and visitors alike for leisure and recreational purposes.
4.2.3 The Neighbourhood Plan Project group is working with local stakeholders to undertake regular condition surveys of key routes to identify where maintenance and improvements may be required. This policy is also in recognition of the restricted resources and competing priorities of Bradford Council which would usually be responsible for these actions.
4.2.4 Any proposed improvements to public rights are to be considered in consultation with the Council Countryside and Rights of Way Officer.
This policy seeks to achieve aims & objectives 4, 5, 8.
This policy aligns with CBMDC adopted core strategy 2017 policy PN1.
POLICY HNDP12: COMMUNITY ENERGY SCHEMES
Proposals for community renewable energy generation, storage and distribution schemes are supported and encouraged providing:
- the siting and scale is appropriate to its setting and position in the landscape;
- it does not create unacceptable impact on a feature of natural or biodiversity importance;
- it does not have unacceptable impact on amenities of residents.
4.2.5 Harden is aiming to become a low-carbon village and community renewable energy schemes have the potential to contribute to reducing the village's carbon footprint through the generation and use of clean energy in homes and businesses.
4.2.6 The Plan seeks to strike a balance between any impact on the landscape resulting from the development of renewable energy infrastructure and the many benefits such schemes would bring.
This policy seeks to achieve aim & objective 1.
This policy aligns with CBMDC adopted core strategy 2017 policy EN6.
POLICY HNDP13: COMMUNITY FACILITIES & SERVICES
Existing Facilities
There is a presumption in favour of the protection of existing community facilities and public houses. Where planning permission is required, the change of use of existing community facilities and public houses, as listed below, will only be supported for other health, education or community type uses (such as community halls, local clubhouses, schools, public houses and children's day nurseries).
When a non-community use (e.g. housing) is proposed to replace, either by conversion or re-development, one of the facilities listed below such development will only be supported when one of the following can be demonstrated:
- The proposal includes alternative provision, on a site within the locality, of equivalent or enhanced facilities. Such sites should be accessible by public transport, walking and cycling and have adequate car parking; or
- Where facilities are considered to be no longer needed or suitable for continued community facility use, satisfactory evidence is put forward by the applicant that, over a minimum period of 12 months, it has been demonstrated, through active marketing of the site, that there is no longer a need or demand for the facility.
The facilities to be protected are listed as follows and shown on the Policies Map:
A - Harden Pharmacy
B - Golden Fleece Inn
C - Harden Memorial Hall
D - St Saviour's Harden
E - Harden Congregational Church
F - Harden Post Office / Off licence
G - The Fresh Approach / Off licence
New Facilities
Where new community facilities are proposed they should be in accessible locations for those seeking or needing to access the sites by walking, cycling and public transport, include off-street car parking to CBMDC standards and be of good quality sustainable design as set out in the policies of this plan and other development plan documents.
4.2.7 Harden village centre provides a range of local shops, services and a pub. Paragraph 28 of the NPPF states that plans should 'promote the retention and development of local services and community facilities in villages, such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship.'
4.2.8 The existing facilities in the village provide for local day-to-day needs, provides some local employment and economic activity, and being centrally located, are in reasonable walking distance to most residents. It is acknowledged that some of the facilities listed, depending on their Use Class (under the Use Classes Order), may enjoy permitted development rights that allows change of use to other uses without needing a separate planning approval.
This policy seeks to achieve aims & objectives 7, 8.
This policy aligns with CBMDC adopted core strategy 2017 policy PN2.
Map 3 – Community facilities identified in HNDP13
POLICY HNDP14: ENHANCING THE VILLAGE CENTRE
Proposals to enhance the appearance and functionality of the village centre including improvements to:
- Public realm, street furniture and hard landscaping;
- Green infrastructure,
- Pedestrian and cycle safety,
- Parking management
are encouraged and will be supported.
4.2.9 The village centre is severed by the junctions of Wilsden Road, Long Lane and Harden Road making the immediate environment car dominated and unwelcoming for pedestrians wishing to access local shops and facilities. There is a long-standing issue with problem parking that impinges on the pedestrian environment due to the lack of suitable parking spaces in the village centre for people wishing to visit local shops.
4.2.10 An enhanced public realm could create a more pleasant and desirable village centre that encourages greater use of local shops, especially by people on foot or bicycle. This could be achieved through a rationalisation of parking coupled with the inclusion of planters and street furniture do demarcate and protect.
This policy seeks to achieve aims & objectives 5, 6, 8.
This policy aligns with CBMDC adopted core strategy 2017 policy PN2.
