Policy DM8: Supporting the Rural Economy
Comment
Local Plan 2015-2030 Preferred Options for Consultation
Representation ID: 102
Received: 01/10/2013
Respondent: Woodland Trust
Ancient Woodland, as well as aged and veteran trees should be protected from development.
Woodland is an important part of the rural economy, for example sustainable timber production and tourism. Woodland creation should therefore be encouraged.
The Woodland Trust would like to see absolute protection for ancient woodland. We would also like to ensure that there is no loss of aged or veteran trees found outside ancient woodland.
We would also note that woodland is a valuable part of the rural economy:
Employment:
In total, the timber industry is estimated to employ about 55,000 people in Great Britain. About 54% of this is employment supported through multiplier effects (i.e., indirect and induced employment), while the rest is directly related to the forestry sector (including everybody from timber growers to processors through to employment in forest education and forestry-related Government employees
Regeneration:
Establishing new woodland is an inexpensive way of restoring the quality of the landscape and soil whilst contributing to wider goals of community and economic regeneration, often of prime concern in brownfield redevelopment. Woodland can also greatly enhance the visual appearance and amenity value of regeneration schemes.
A prime example of land regeneration using woodland was the Forestry Commission's Newlands Project (North West of England), which used a specially designed 'Public Benefits Recording System' to prioritise the planting and establishment of woodland on DUN sites (damaged, under-used and neglected land) in terms of which ones would provide the greatest benefits.)
Research by the Mersey Forest Brownfield Project ("Brownfield Remediation to Forestry") has shown that tree planting can be an important mechanism of reclaiming and regenerating contaminated brownfield land. Planting fast growing trees such as willows and poplars can markedly enhance the natural degradation of many pollutants in the soil, including petroleum residues, oil, industrial solvents and paint.
Rural development:
Forestry contributes to rural development directly through employment in timber production and processing and also indirectly through landscape benefits which attract tourist revenues and local visitors
Tourism:
Woodland recreation is another driver for rural development. Forests are amongst the UK's most popular visitor destinations, receiving about 350 million day visits a year (1). Forest-related tourism expenditure associated with tourism day visits, is estimated to be around £2.3 billion, over 3% of the total tourism expenditure in the UK (2).
(2) Hill, Courtney, Burton, Potts (2003) Forests Role in Tourism: Phase 2.Summary Report- Final for the Forestry Group (Economics and Statisics) of the Forestry Commission.
Comment
Local Plan 2015-2030 Preferred Options for Consultation
Representation ID: 276
Received: 01/10/2013
Respondent: Essex County Council
Policy DM8 - Supporting the Rural Economy
Essex County Council welcomes Criteria e in that new development will need to demonstrate that the traffic generated by developments will not give rise to adverse highway conditions or safety concerns. Essex County Council will seek to consider these impacts, in line with policies contained in the Development Management Policies, February 2011.
See attached
Support
Local Plan 2015-2030 Preferred Options for Consultation
Representation ID: 331
Received: 02/10/2013
Respondent: Mr Richard Lunnon
Agent: JTS Partnership LLP
This policy is supported. However there is a concern that the supporting text only relates to farm diversification. The Council should recognise there are other activities such as riding schools, lively stables and small scale visitor accommodation, which should also be recognised.
See Atteched
Support
Local Plan 2015-2030 Preferred Options for Consultation
Representation ID: 396
Received: 02/10/2013
Respondent: JTS Partnership LLP
We welcome the support for development related to small scale rural enterprises and which diversifies the range of economic activity both on farms and in the rural area generally.
There is, however, a concern that whilst the policy refers both to agricultural and other rural enterprises, the supporting text almost exclusively concerns the diversification of existing farms. The Council should explicitly recognise that there are many other types of enterprise (other than farms and agriculture) that benefit the rural economy (such as riding schools, livery stables, small scale visitor accommodation etc).
see attached
Comment
Local Plan 2015-2030 Preferred Options for Consultation
Representation ID: 420
Received: 02/10/2013
Respondent: JTS Partnership LLP
We note, with regret that the Council has not included a specific policy on riding schools and stables within the draft plan. Given the contribution that such business make to the rural economy, we request that policies, similar to those in the current local plan be included in the next draft- see attachement for wording.
see attached
Comment
Local Plan 2015-2030 Preferred Options for Consultation
Representation ID: 1284
Received: 01/10/2013
Respondent: Mr Richard Romang
We are also losing smaller shops and public houses to either shopping chains or development. More encouragement is needed to enable these to continue as independent businesses. In rural communities good shops and public houses attract outside visitors, especially at weekends, and boost the local economy.
see attached document