Problems and Issues

Future Provision

4.1 In order to allow housing development to go ahead and to make housing proposals acceptable in land use planning terms, adequate provision of community infrastructure is required. However, the limited resources available to Local Authorities will make the provision of future community services and recreational facilities difficult to achieve. Developers may be asked to contribute financially towards their provision. Contributions will be sought when necessary to enable development to proceed. They will be directly related to the proposed development, fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind and reasonable in all other respects, and accord with national guidance (currently contained in Circular 1/97 Planning Obligations). In accordance with para B13 of Circular 1/97 a number of developers may be approached to contribute jointly to an improved facility which will be of benefit to all of them and the community at large. Guidance for developers will be produced from time to time and will provide further details.

Playing Field Provision

4.2 Specific standards for the provision of playing fields in a rural District are difficult to apply, particularly given the balance of the population. Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) Note 17, advises that Local Authorities should assess local need for recreational facilities. Work has started on assessing local needs and will be incorporated into future drafts of the Plan. Until this is done the National Playing Field Association standard on playing fields will apply.

Indoor Sports Provision

4.3 The District Council's adopted strategy "Review of the Councils Recreation Policies; August 1994" commits it to maintaining the existing indoor sports facilities at Blandford Upper School and the Leisure Centre at Gillingham. Further facilities have been built for joint use at Shaftesbury School. The District Council has also built a leisure and recreation hall at Sturminster Newton . Every encouragement will be given both to Public and State Schools in the District to improve their joint use facilities.

Countryside Recreation

4.4 The increasing importance of recreation in the countryside is recognised, given the need to diversify the local economy and the need to support the requirements of the growing "tourism and leisure market". There is obviously an overlap between provision for tourists and being used by residents and facilities provided primarily for residents gaining by being used by tourists.

The Structure Plan Strategy

4.5 The Structure Plan policies relevant to community services and recreation require the location of larger facilities to be in the main settlements in order to minimise environmental damage and the need to travel. Whilst the attraction of the countryside for recreation is recognised, this is qualified by the need to ensure this is compatible with the rural environment and accessible from the main centres of population. There are policies which reflect the need for increasing the supply of open space and for protection of existing open space.

(a) Community Facilities

Provision of Services

4.6 It is envisaged that specialised health care, education and other community services such as hospitals and secondary schools will be located in the towns. Other settlements have need for smaller facilities, for example first schools and surgeries for General Practitioners. The importance of these facilities to the smaller settlements is recognised.

Policy 4.1

Education

4.7 Changes in numbers on school rolls vary from area to area and in some instances new or replacement sites are required for schools or additional land is needed for extensions to school sites. Many increases may be catered for by extending school buildings on existing school sites, in which case proposals will be expected to meet Policy 1.8. Land may be required for additional playing fields at Stalbridge Primary School but this has not yet been quantified. In settlements included in Policy 4.2; "Land Required for Educational Use", residential development may need to make provision of education facilities as set out in paragraph 4.1 above.

Policy 4.2

Community Use of Educational Facilities

4.8 In the towns and villages opportunities may exist to make further use of indoor and outdoor school facilities, subject to considerations of car parking and hours of operation.

Surplus Educational Facilities

4.9 Should school buildings become surplus to educational use, consideration should be given to the possibilities of local community use of the building. Other uses will be considered if this is not the case. Redevelopment of school playing fields will only be permitted if there is excess provision of such land or if replacement areas are provided. (see Policy 4.6).

Community Buildings, Village Halls and Libraries

4.10 The increasing population of the larger settlements creates demand for a building to be able to provide a larger venue to serve the whole town and also to be available for a variety of uses. A proposal for such a hall is made in this plan for Gillingham. Consideration is also being given to possible sites for a larger hall in Shaftesbury. (For proposals see the Local Area Policies).

4.11 Neighbourhood halls for new residential estates are needed in particular for day-time use when joint use of schools is not available. These halls need to be well located and near to the population they are to serve and to be accessible by foot rather than increasing dependancy on the car. They should be within a 1000m radius or 15 minute walk time of the majority of the population served by the hall. Work done by other authorities shows that a standard provision of a 220m² hall is required for a population of 2000. Proposals for new neighbourhood halls are made in this plan at Blandford and Shaftesbury. (For details see the Local Area Policies section).

4.12 Libraries are also important and are located in the towns whilst the rural areas are served by travelling libraries. The library in Blandford is not considered adequate for the town and Dorset County Council have acquired a site in West Street for a replacement library.

4.13 Whilst in the main, places of worship are established within existing settlements, there are some groups who wish to establish new centres of a variety of sizes, throughout the District. At present, no allocations are made. Any proposals would be judged on the basis of policies in the plan.

4.14 Where the provision of additional residential development creates a need to provide, improve or replace a community building serving the locality, the Local Planning Authority may seek contributions from developers based on the demands created by the development. Such negotiations will follow the approach outlined in paragraph 4.1. It is intended to establish, with town and parish councils, a hierarchy of settlements for such improvements. Where the facility is of such a scale that it provides for a wider catchment area than the settlement within which it is located, the negotiations will be based on development within that wider area.

Policy 4.3

'Percent for Arts'

4.15 Local Authorities are being urged to make developers aware of the contribution of their proposals to the environment and to adopt the principle whereby a proportion of the capital budget for a major development should be set aside for commissioning new works (such as sculpture, tiling and paving design), to be executed as part of the development.

Policy 4.4

(b) Recreation

Outdoor Sports Pitches and other Recreational Open Space

4.16 The importance that all playing pitches and other recreation facilities such as greens, courts, tracks and training areas, irrespective of ownership, contribute to towns and villages is recognised.

4.17 An assessment of existing clubs and their use of pitches is being made (see paragraph 4.2), but prior to this a standard needs to be adopted by which the provision of playing pitches and other recreational open space and proposals for changes of use of existing spaces can be assessed. It is proposed to use the National Playing Fields Association Standard of 1.6-1.8ha (4.0-4.5 acres) per 1000 population for youth and adult use. This comprises 1.2ha (3.0 acres) for minimum pitch provision and 0.4-0.6ha (1.0-1.5 acres) for greens, courts, athletic tracks and other miscellaneous provision.

4.18 It may be possible in some cases to improve and extend provision on existing sites, by ground improvements for example or by securing tenure. All weather pitches allow more matches to be played and can also be used for training. If these are floodlit then hours of use can also be extended (subject to a satisfactory assessment of the effect of the lighting on the amenity of the surrounding area). The requirement for all weather pitches in the district will be assessed.

4.19 Additional recreational areas with sports pitches are proposed in the following settlements; Blandford, Gillingham, Milborne St. Andrew and Shaftesbury. Details regarding these proposals can be found in Part 2 of the Plan. There is also a need for an improved recreation area/sports pitches at Stalbridge. Residential development may be required to make provision for recreation facilities on a basis set out in paragraph 4.1 above.

4.20 The National Playing Fields Association does not include in its standards, areas for informal and casual recreation, such as, for example the land at the Milldown in Blandford. Proposals to improve public access to such areas of land are identified on the proposal maps and included within Part 2 of the Written Statement.

Policy 4.5

4.21 It is important that playing fields and other recreational spaces are protected from development. Until an assessment of local need is made, the NPFA standard in Policy 4.5 will be used to judge whether there is an excess of sports pitches in the area. Proposals affecting sports pitches are also referred to the Sports Council for consideration.

Policy 4.6

Indoor Sports & Leisure Provision

4.22 There are four main centres at Blandford, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton. It is intended to maintain and improve these centres and to expand the centre at Gillingham to provide for the increasing size of the town. In the rural areas, the joint use of school facilities and the use of village halls will help to provide local small scale facilities. The Local Authority has a rural sports development service to facilitate the establishment of leisure activities in particular for those who have poor access to the main centres.

Policy 4.7

4.23 The use of redundant buildings especially in the villages for recreation provision will be supported.

4.24 The Council will support the development of new recreation facilities where they meet with the policies of the Local Plan: · by the private sector · by local voluntary groups and other organisations · in association with other developments · in partnership with other organisations, the Local Authority will provide recreation facilities where opportunity arises.

Play Areas and Amenity Open Space for Residential Estates

4.25 It is important to retain existing play areas and outdoor amenity open space for residential estates (see Policy 4.6 Loss of Outdoor Sports Pitches and other Recreational Open Space). It is also important for new residential development that is designated for families, to provide for casual childrens’ play space and equipped childrens’ playgrounds, based on the scale of the development. All types of residential development should provide amenity open space.

4.26 The Local Planning Authority will seek the provision of casual/informal children’s play space at the standard of the National Playing Fields Association i.e. 0.4 to 0.5 ha. per 1000 population and the provision of an equipped children’s play area at the ratio of 0.2 to 0.3 ha. per 1000 population. An assessment will be made of the capacity of existing play spaces. This will be used to identify where provision is required. Where the assessment indicates there are adequate facilities in the vicinity of a proposed development then the standards will be relaxed.

4.27 In cases where there is underprovision of playspace within safe pedestrian distance (less than 200 metres for pre-school children and 400 metres for older children) the provision of such spaces, the area of which will be directly related to the size of the proposed development, will be sought. Any changes to playing space requirements resulting from work to be done on the Leisure Needs Survey will be progressed through Local Plan procedures.

4.28 Such provision is expected to be a fundamental part of the design of the housing layout and must be clearly visible from a number of dwellings and easily accessible. Where this cannot be achieved due to the physical constraints of the site, a capital contribution to the provision of an off-site facility in an acceptable location may be sought. If there is an existing equipped play area in an acceptable location serving a lower than standard population then contributions may be sought for the improvement of the facility. It may be possible for a developer, District Council and Town or Parish Council to work together to supply an equipped play area for the new development and an under-provided existing area through its grant scheme.

4.29 The National Playing Fields Association standard does not include a requirement for amenity open space. This is considered to be required for the majority of residential developments. The amount will vary according to the site and may be part of a scheme to landscape the site or conserve existing trees, hedges or habitats.

4.30 The future maintenance of ancillary play areas and amenity open space for residential estates will normally be expected to be the responsibility of Town or Parish Councils, Residents Associations or similar bodies, and a commuted sum for maintenance will be required from the developer where the play area is principally of benefit to the development itself, in accordance with Circular 1/97 paragraph B14.

Policy 4.8

Countryside Recreation

4.31 It is recognised that the area is attractive for countryside recreation but as with tourism it is important that any provision of facilities does not affect the quality of the area. The District Council endorsed Dorset County Council's strategy to conserve the character, landscape and wildlife of an area whilst enhancing public enjoyment and understanding of the countryside. Whilst many forms of recreation are informal, some recreation provision does require facilities and some organised recreation requires the use of an area of land. A policy to limit the impact of such uses is required.

Policy 4.9

4.32 Walking, cycling and horse riding activities are typical of the types of recreation which are undertaken already within the District and which are generally increasing.

4.33 The Ridgeway Long Distance Walk between Avebury and Lyme Regis is way-marked and the ‘Stour Valley Way’ is now also way-marked as a long distance path. Part of the 'Way' uses the redundant "Somerset and Dorset" railway line owned by the County Council between Spetisbury and Blandford St. Mary. This stretch will also be capable of use by cyclists, and suitable for wheelchair users.

4.34 Encouragement will be given to setting up a network of way-marked bridleways and footpaths, linking main settlement and tourist areas, in particular creating circular routes from the long distance footpaths. A way marked cycleway on public roads has been established. and shorter links created within the main 73 mile route. The route is now being promoted as a Regional Route for recreational cycling by Sustrans.

4.35 As part of the National Cycle Network proposals, development work is underway on a proposed link between the Poole/Bournemouth conurbation and the Bristol/Bath conurbation. A major part of the route is planned to traverse the District northwards through Blandford to Gillingham with a spur to Shaftesbury. The network will connect towns and countryside and is intended not only to provide long distance recreational routes but primarily to link towns to the surrounding countryside for utility use. As work is at a preliminary stage it is not possible to show this on the Proposals Map but an indicative route is shown on the Local Plan Key Diagram. (Figure 1).

4.36 Walking and cycling both have benefits for tourism and the local economy. Both are sustainable ways of exploring the area and lead to requirements for accommodation and refreshments thus adding to the local economy.

4.37 Parts of this network of long distance footpaths and cycleways are proposed through some major development areas in the District’s main towns. Development in these areas will increase the need for implementation and the Local Authority may seek commensurate contributions from developers to help meet construction costs.

4.38 There may be some opportunities to re-use other lengths of the disused "Somerset and Dorset" railway line as put forward in Policy 4.11 below and these should be encouraged.

4.39 As the proposed conversions of the disused railway line, as set out in Policy 4.10 and Policy 4.11, affect linear features which may form important wildlife corridors, the provisions of Policy 1.37 "Other Landscape Features of Nature Conservation Importance" apply. Measures should be taken to provide nature trails and interpretation facilities.

Policy 4.10

Policy 4.11