Brownfield Sites and "West of Burscough" Scheme

The attached file contains details of brownfield sites in West
Lancashire as recorded on our NLUD database(National Land Use
Database). More details with respect to the Brownfield sites /West
of Burscough Scheme FOI request are being sent in a separate email.

Dear Mr Bjork

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

I am writing in respect of your recent enquiry (ref. 62632-bd486369) for
information held by the Council under the provisions of the Freedom of
Information Act. This email contains web links to some of the information
you have requested, and five attachments containing some other of the
information you have requested. In addition, I will upload more documents
directly onto the WhatDoTheyKnow.com website, as they are too large to
attach to this email.

This email will follow the same order as set out in your Freedom of
Information request. With regard to the first part of your request
(complete and exhaustive details of the brownfield sites in the West
Lancashire borough), there are two principal sources of information:

a) The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). Our SHLAA
is available on our website: please follow this link

[1]http://www.westlancs.gov.uk/planning/res...

b) The National Land Use Database (NLUD).
I have uploaded onto the WDTK website a file showing a list of the
brownfield sites in West Lancashire recorded on the NLUD database, plus
maps showing the locations of the sites. There will be some overlap with
the SHLAA above.

The SHLAA should also provide the information to answer the second part of
your request (studies into brownfield and greenfield sites that have been
undertaken in order to ensure that compliance with the principles for
residential development defined in PPS3 is achieved, namely to prioritise
brownfield development over greenfield development). You will see from
the SHLAA that the amount of brownfield land available is limited, and
much of it is constrained by other policies, most notably the need to
retain employment sites for employment uses as far as possible. One
important study which covers this issue is the Joint Employment Land and
Premises Study 2010, which is available on our website. Please follow
this link to view the study:

[2]http://www.westlancs.gov.uk/planning/res...

With regard to the third part of your request (internal minutes pertaining
to the "West of Burscough" site, whereupon it has been considered to
construct approximately 600 nr homes on greenbelt land), the minutes of
Cabinet, Executive Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and Planning Committee
meetings are all available on the Council website. I am unable to provide
direct links, but to access these documents, go to [3]www.westlancs.gov.uk
then choose "Council and Democracy", then "Meetings Minutes and Agendas",
then "Council Bodies" - "Committees, etc" and choose the relevant
Committee from the list, then "Meetings schedule", choose the relevant
date and follow links to the documents.

I attach for your information the reports and minutes from the most recent
Committee meetings, pertaining to the Core Strategy document.

<<ExecOverviewScrutinyMinute03-Feb-2011.pdf>>
<<CabinetReport18-Jan-2011.pdf>> <<CabinetMinute-18-Jan-2011.pdf>>
<<CabinetReport15-Mar-2011.pdf>> <<CabinetMinute15-Mar-2011.pdf>>

You can also download the draft Core Strategy document from this part of
the website (too large to attach to this email), although please bear in
mind the document may be subject to minor amendments before consultation
takes place on it.

With regard to the fourth part of your request ("Particularly in relation
to the proposed "West of Burscough" site please provide complete details
of your studies into the accessibility of facilities, jobs, services,
infrastructure and public transport to the West of Burscough Site and
evidence of the resulting findings and decisions in light of the policy's
[sic] contained within the PPS3 and also the national policy on homes"),
the following two studies can be found on our website:

Spatial Atlas - can be downloaded from:
[4]http://www.westlancs.gov.uk/planning/res...

Sustainable Settlement Study - can be downloaded from:
[5]http://www.westlancs.gov.uk/planning/res...

We have also taken into account information from the following three
documents:
United Utilities Business Plan 2010-2015 - available to download from:
[6]http://www.unitedutilities.com/searchres...
(scroll down and click on the first PDF symbol on the right hand column on
the page)

West Lancashire Integrated Transport Review Final Report (WL Local
Strategic Partnership):
[7]http://www.westlancsdc.gov.uk/lspweb/PDF...

Sub-Regional Transport Framework for Lancashire
(document produced on behalf of a partnership comprising Lancashire County
Council, Blackburn Council, Blackpool Council, Lancashire Economic
Partnership - available on Blackburn Council's website):

[8]http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/upload/pdf/L...

In addition, I will upload onto the WDTK website (or else email
separately) a number of internal "thematic paper" reports relating to
facilities, services, public transport, etc. in our settlements.

If you have any queries concerning the information provided, please do not
hesitate to contact me. If you are still unhappy with the response you
are entitled to pursue any dissatisfaction through the Council's
Complaints Procedure by writing to John Harrison, Acting Executive
Manager, Planning.

Yours sincerely

Stephen Benge
Principal Planning Officer
Planning and Development Services

show quoted sections

Attached are "Thematic Papers" relating to different parts of West
Lancashire Borough. These are in conjunction with an email sent in
reponse to Mr Bjork's Freedom of Information Request to the Council
(they were too large to attach to the email).