Implementation

398. Planning 15 to 20 years ahead is not without its problems.

399. Assessing housing need relies on assumptions about the future habits of individuals and families. The extent to which these assumptions prove to be justified depends on a number of unknowns, not the least of which are the strength of the local economy, the durability of current social trends and the degree to which the housing market remains driven by demand rather than needs. These uncertainties will have to be dealt with in local plans by the phasing of development to prevent an over-commitment of sites in the early years of the Plan period and to regulate the release of land in periods of both land over-supply and shortfall.

400. Another cause of uncertainty is the possibility that large areas of urban land will, unexpectedly, become available for development. Policies have been included to allow such to come forward without increasing the overall scale of development.

401. The way in which development is bought forward, particularly in the Major Development Areas, will have a significant influence on the provision of social and physical infrastructure. The likely availability of resources is reflected in a number of ways: the lower levels of growth; the emphasis on regeneration; the proposals for integrated transport strategies, and the wide range of policies to conserve and enhance the environment.

402. Capitalising on the existing and planned infrastructure in existing built-up areas should help to limit the call on financial resources. Policies of constraint in the countryside should help limit the need for the relatively expensive provision of infrastructure and services that can arise from new, isolated development. Concentrating additional development in the four Major Development Areas will introduce economies of scale in the provision of new infrastructure and services and should also enable the maximum use to be made of existing provision. The shifting emphasis of transport investment from private to public modes will help to minimise the need for new road building and save energy costs.

IMP1 To ensure that provision will be made for the infrastructure, services and amenities needed to support development, planning permission in accordance with the policies of this Plan will only be granted once:

(i) the on- and off-site infrastructure needed to support the development exists or has been programmed; and

(ii) a formula for funding this necessary infrastructure has been agreed.

Infrastructure requirements and funding formulae will normally be established in local plans.

IMP2 Planning permission in respect of Major Development Areas will only be granted if off-site infrastructure for the development exists or is programmed and funding formulae have been agreed with potential developers.

Infrastructure requirements and funding formulae will normally be established in local plans provided that the timing of provision is not affected by any significant delays in the local plan process.

403. The County Council, the City Councils of Portsmouth and Southampton and district councils have, between them, a range of roles to play in implementing this Plan. These roles range from preparing plans and policies for the allocation of land and day-to-day development control to the direct provision of infrastructure and services and participation, as partners, in development. Partnerships will need to be forged early in the development process to ensure successful implementation.

404. There is no easy formula to ensure that the financial impact arising from the development proposed in this Plan is evenly spread. Almost certainly, the total package of new infrastructure required by development will, on occasions, exceed the capacity of the development to pay for them. Accordingly, when deciding on the appropriate level of infrastructure to be funded by the development, priorities may need to be established between competing items. Setting priorities should be undertaken as part of the local plan process so that the effects of provision, or omission and their respective capital or revenue costs can be fully debated.

405. Local authorities will need to agree the approach to be adopted to establish the detailed formula for contributions. It is possible that different methods will be appropriate in the particular circumstances of individual sites and developments. Where a scheme will be implemented by a number of developers (acting either individually or in consortia), the authorities will need to be satisfied that adequate measures are put in place by the developers to ensure that the development can proceed smoothly.

406. The successful implementation of the Plan will require very close working between public, private and voluntary agencies. This close working will be especially important in promoting the regeneration initiatives within the older urban areas, particularly within Portsmouth and Southampton, and the development of the Major Development Areas.