Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

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PART ll VOLUME 4 South East Area Proposals

The Strategy for the South East Area
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.1.1 Volume 1 of the Plan sets out the Development Strategy and Policies for the District and together with the Reasoned Justification (Volume 2), gives a general background and justification for the site specific proposals in the Plan. The Development Strategy section also explains the implications of Regional Planning Guidance for Yorkshire and the Humber for the Plan's strategy and policies.
1.1.2 Land use proposals for development in each Community Area over the Plan period are set out in detail in Volumes 3, 4 and 5 which relate to Northern, South East and Western Wakefield respectively.
1.1.3 This volume (Volume 4) deals with proposals in the South-East Area which occupies the south-eastern portion of the Wakefield Metropolitan District and includes the larger communities of Ackworth, Ryhill/Havercroft, Fitzwilliam, Kinsley, Hemsworth, South Kirkby, South Elmsall and Upton, together with a number of surrounding rural villages.
The South East Area is divided into three Community Areas of Ackworth, Hemsworth and Elmsall. The boundaries of these Areas are shown on the South-East Area Proposals Map.


1.2 REGENERATION
1.2.1 The development strategy being proposed for the South-East Area draws a distinction between Ackworth and the other two Community Areas - Hemsworth and Elmsall.
1.2.2 Hemsworth and Elmsall Community Areas have experienced a dramatic restructuring of the local economy in recent years as a result of the rapid decline of coal mining. This has led to higher than average levels of social and economic deprivation in many communities. The task of regeneration is urgent in these areas. Programmes of targeted action aimed at promoting sustainable economic growth and employment, improving accessibility and enhancing the environment are required to improve the attractiveness of these areas as places in which to live and work. Government and EU funding is available throughout the areas to assist the process of regeneration.
1.2.3 The Ackworth Community Area is considered not to have the same degree of priority for regenerative action. A strategy is proposed which reflects the lower needs of the area and the fewer opportunities for development.


1.3 HOUSING
1.3.1 The main aim of the residential land strategy in the South-East Area is to ensure a good choice of site both in terms of type/quality and geographical distribution between settlements. Demand for new housing is low in parts of the area and some housing allocations previously identified in the original UDP have been deleted in response to this. This does not mean that housing is unacceptable on these sites but reflects the fact that development seems unlikely before 2006. A number of windfall allocations are proposed, involving land with an outstanding planning permission but only two new allocations are included, in South Elmsall and Ackworth with the aim of increasing the range of housing sites available and to consolidate existing settlements by making use of previously developed land.


1.4 EMPLOYMENT
1.4.1 The employment strategy in the South-East Area aims to ensure that adequate employment land is available to cater for future demand as far as it can be predicted at present. Allowance has been made for development needed to provide substantial additional employment in the area following future investment in highway infrastructure.
1.4.2 In the shorter term Dale Lane, North Elmsall offers the most attractive location close to the existing major road links and land remains available at this location. The former South Kirkby Colliery area presents the main opportunity in this Plan Area. Whilst there is a possibility for some limited short term development, the full potential of the site can only be realised following construction of the Hemsworth - A1 Link Road. The size of the proposed allocation at South Kirkby Colliery has been increased in the Review providing the opportunity for a substantial development at this location. Ackworth has not experienced the economic decline of the other Community Areas in the South-East and there is a need to cater for limited growth. Land is therefore allocated in Ackworth to provide additional employment opportunities within the settlement.
1.4.3 Two further areas have been taken from the Green Belt. The first, at Upton, is well located relative to the A1 and is considered suitable for a single large industrial land user which could not be accommodated elsewhere. It is not proposed to release the site for general industrial use and it has been designated a Special Policy Area. The second area, east of Hemsworth, has been designated a Protected Area of Search for Long Term Development and, should the need arise, offers the potential for further industrial expansion in the Hemsworth area towards the end of the Plan period and beyond.


1.5 TRANSPORT
1.5.1 In recent years central government policy has moved away from the provision of new highway infrastructure towards alternative means of improving accessibility. There is now an emphasis on public transport, cycling and walking for meeting a greater proportion of travel needs, on transferring freight from road to rail, and on land use policies that reduce the need to travel. The Local Transport Plan does contain measures to improve rail and bus facilities, and to encourage improved bus services between the South-East area and the Northern Towns area of Barnsley District where large scale industrial redevelopment is also taking place. The former mining industry was not as reliant on road transport as the types of industries that are being introduced to replace it and consequently the connections to the strategic highway network are relatively under developed in this area. This has been recognised for example by the provision of significant new road infrastructure in Barnsley District and the inclusion of the South East Link Road (SELR) and the Hemsworth - A1 Link Road in this Plan. The scope for encouraging more rail freight is limited.
1.5.2 The SELR is essentially a series of bypasses to communities where safety and environmental problems result from the A628 primary route passing through them, and the provision of a bypass would be an effective solution. This was the case for Hemsworth for which the by-pass was completed in 1996.


1.6 ENVIRONMENT
1.6.1 Environmental improvement is also a key element of regeneration policy. It is vital for the attraction of further industry as well as raising the quality of life for residents.
1.6.2 Most of the South-East Area still retains a rural character and the importance of maintaining the extensive areas of Green Belt is re-emphasised. Only the necessity of ensuring adequate employment land has forced some limited incursion into the existing Green Belt. In addition, however, the rather negative nature of Green Belt policy is complemented by the more positive Green Corridor concept.
1.6.3 Extensive Green Corridors are defined which aim to provide a context to focus resources both public and private - to develop the Areas outdoor amenity and recreational resource. The need for such a framework is particularly important in the South-East Area where the landscape has suffered more than any other part of the District from the impact of intensive arable farming.
1.6.4 The other major influence on the landscape and image of the South-East Area has been the mining industry. Continued reclamation activities will be required at the former South Kirkby Colliery and Frickley Colliery Yard sites to ameliorate the impact of former coal mining activity.




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