Planning in Coventry

New or improved social community and leisure premises

1. Proposals for social, community and leisure facilities will be considered through the following sequential approach: a. Designated centres to support the centres hierarchy; b. Where no suitable sites are available in a designated centre, an edge-of-centre location; c. Where no edge of centre sites are available, a site adjacent to other associated facilities including existing schools and educational facilities; d. Only where no suitable site can be identified having regard to points 1-3, will stand alone sites be supported, subject to: i. The proposal addressing an unmet need within a local community; ii. There being no significant adverse impact upon the role of a defined Centre; iii. There being no material impact on neighbouring amenity; 2. Proposals will be considered on the basis of: a. The appropriateness of their proposed location in relation to their scale and intended catchment; b. Compatibility with nearby uses; c. Accessibility by a choice of means of transport; d. Compatibility with other Plan Policies. 3. Where proposals are in accordance with the approved Masterplans for Coventry University or the University of Warwick they will normally be approved subject to high quality design proposals.

Re-Use of or Redevelopment of Facilities

1. Proposals for the re-use or redevelopment of community premises for a use outside the scope of this policy will not be supported if: a. There is an outstanding local need which could reasonably be met at that location; b. The site remains viable for existing uses or could be made viable through appropriate diversification of use; c. the proposal is not compatible with nearby uses. 2. In all cases consideration should be given to the suitability of the location for such facilities having regard to other Policies in this plan and its supporting documents 3. Where replacement facilities are intended, they should: a. continue to serve the community; b. be of appropriate scale and character; c. be of high quality design.

Neighbourhood and Community Planning

1. Where appropriate the Council will support communities in the preparation of: a. Parish Plans; b. Parish Design Statements, and; c. Neighbourhood Plans. 2. When preparing these plans they must remain in accordance with national legislation, this Local Plan and any other city wide planning documents which support it. 3. Where appropriate the Council will support the application and designation of land or buildings as Assets of Community Value. 4. The Council will not support applications for Neighbourhood, Parish Plans or Assets of Community Value where they conflict with this Local Plan or supporting documentation.

Health Impact Assessments (HIA)

1. All major development proposals will be required to demonstrate that they would have an acceptable impact on health and wellbeing. This should be demonstrated through a: a. HIA where significant impacts on health and wellbeing would arise from that proposal; or b. HIA Screening Report which demonstrates that the proposed development would not overall give rise to negative impacts in respect of health and wellbeing. 2. All HIAs shall be undertaken in accordance with the Council's HIA Supplementary Planning Document. 3. Where a development has significant negative or positive impacts on health and wellbeing the Council may require applicants to provide for the mitigation or provision of such impacts through planning conditions and/or financial/other contributions secured via planning obligations and/or the Council's CIL Charging Schedule.

Eastern Green SUE Specific Masterplan Principles (Part D)

i. Incorporate the recommendations of the Council's SUE Design Guidance SPD; ii. Respond to the transport and economic opportunities associated with the site's proximity to the planned HS2 interchange to the west; iii. Ensure that the employment provisions and Major District Centre are located towards the north of the site and are accessed directly from the new A45 Junction. Neither the employment provision or new Major District Centre should be occupied until the new A45 junction is fully operational; iv. Furthermore, the residential element of the scheme should be limited to the occupation of no more than 250 homes until such time as the new A45 junction is fully operational, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Council in response to a robust TA; v. Ensure the new defensible boundaries to the Green Belt are clearly supported to Pickford Green Lane in the west and the A45 to the north; vi. Provide appropriate green infrastructure along the western edge of the SUE around Pickford Green Lane to help blend and integrate the development into the wider Countryside; vii. Establish a comprehensive green and blue infrastructure corridor focused along the Pickford Brook and its tributary. This should run from Pickford Green Lane in the west and link to existing corridors off-site, for example, across Westridge Avenue and Parkhill Drive towards Allesley Park; viii. Identify clear access points to the site and make appropriate provisions for new transport infrastructure and highway improvements to support the comprehensive delivery of the site; ix. In accordance with Policy AC2, manage the existing highway junctions at Pickford Green Lane and Brick Hill Lane with the A45 to ensure they are either integrated into the new A45 Junction or safely retained within the existing highway network; and x. Make appropriate provision to aid future integration of the new rapid transit route within the site once the final route is known.

Ensuring High Quality Design

1. All development proposals must respect and enhance their surroundings and positively contribute towards the local identity and character of an area. 2. The setting, integrity and character of heritage assets will be protected in accordance with Policy HE2. 3. All development will be expected to meet the following key principles: a. respond to the physical context of the site; b. consider the local distinctiveness and identity of the site but also have regard to opportunities to enhance the local built and natural environment through new development and enhanced design; c. where appropriate, retain and incorporate into the layout the protection of important views, including key views of the three spires; d. preserve or enhance the character and setting of the historic built, landscape and where appropriate archaeological environment; e. preserve or enhance the character and setting of major road, rail and canal corridors; f. clearly define the boundaries between public and private spaces and enclosure of space; g. provide attractive, safe, uncluttered, active and easily identifiable, high quality public spaces; h. make places that inter-connect and are easy to move through; i. ensure places are easily understood by users, with clear routes and distinct physical features; j. seek high quality design and attention to detail in the layout of developments, individual buildings and infrastructure in terms of function and impact, not just for the short term, but over the lifetime of the development; k. be adaptable to changing social, technological, economic and market conditions and ensure that developments maximise the use of the site; l. promote diversity through mixes of uses within a site or building, which work together to create vital and viable places; m. be proactive in responding to climate change and adopt sustainable and low carbon construction principles in terms of their design, layout and density; n. consider green infrastructure at the earliest stage in the design process, to ensure that it is well planned, designed, managed and maintained. It should also be well integrated and serve multiple purposes (as appropriate); o. support the integration of through routes for public transport and incorporate suitable bus priority measures as appropriate; p. minimise adverse impact on important natural resources; q. conserve, restore or enhance biodiversity; and r. respect and enhance landscape quality including trees, hedges and other landscape features of value.

General Masterplan principles

The following General Principles should be adhered to when master planning any major development proposal: i. Where appropriate the Masterplan should clearly identify any phasing of development along with the timely provision of supporting infrastructure; ii. Where the site is identified as an allocation within the Local Plan or City Centre AAP it should plan positively to meet in full the requirements identified within the relevant policies associated with the allocation. Where the proposal represents a phase or phases of a wider scheme however, the quantum of development should reflect the relative size and characteristics of the phase, including its position within the wider site; iii. Where possible, all proposals should be planned in a comprehensive and integrated manner reflecting partnership working with relevant stakeholders. Where proposals represent a phase of a larger development the Masterplan should have full regard to any adjoining land parcels and development proposals to ensure it delivers appropriate parts of the strategic or site-wide infrastructure and other relevant features. This should support the wider delivery of the comprehensive scheme; iv. Opportunities to deliver higher density residential and mixed-use development should be maximised along public transport corridors and in designated centres with lower densities provided elsewhere (in accordance with policies H9 and R3); v. Employment and commercial proposals should respond positively to market demands and requirements, maximising opportunities to locate within or close to designated centres (as appropriate) and provide a range and choice of opportunities to meet business and customer needs; vi. Identify appropriate highway infrastructure along with sustainable transport corridors that include the provision for integrated public transport, cycling and walking which provides excellent connectivity and linkages to within the site itself, the city centre and with the surrounding area and existing networks; vii. Appropriate levels of car and cycle parking should be made in accordance with the Local Plan's parking requirements. Spaces should be well integrated within the development and laid out to ensure they do not result in the obstruction of the highway as a result of excessive on-street parking; viii. Where appropriate social and community facilities should be concentrated within mixed use hubs and designated centres and easily accessed by public transport, walking and cycling (having regard to Policy CO1); ix. Proposals should respond to the local context and local design characteristics (in accordance with Policies GE3, HE2 and DE1), to create new well designed developments with a distinctive character which residents will be proud of; x. Features of the historic environment should be respected as part of new developments with existing heritage assets conserved and enhanced as part of development proposals (in accordance with Policy HE2). Where appropriate, this should include the setting of buildings and spaces and the restoration of assets at risk of loss; xi. Sympathetically integrate existing landscape, biodiversity and historic features of the site into the development taking opportunities to protect, enhance and manage important features along with mitigation and enhancement measures to provide satisfactory compensatory provisions where appropriate (having regard to Policies GE1-4); xii. Provide fully integrated, accessible and connected multi-functional green and blue infrastructure which forms strategically important links to the surrounding area to provide routes for people and wildlife and open spaces for sports, recreation and play; xiii. Where appropriate incorporate innovative and creative approaches to energy generation, the provision of utilities and information technology, mitigation of pollutants, management of surface water and flood risk and waste management solutions. These should be adopted to make new developments more sustainable and resistant to the impacts of climate change; and xiv. All new Masterplans should be informed by consultation with existing communities in adjoining areas. This should take place prior to the submission of a planning application to ensure feedback can influence the final proposals.

Building Standards

1. New development should be designed and constructed to meet the relevant Building Regulations, as a minimum, with a view to: a. Maximising energy efficiency and the use of low carbon energy; b. Conserving water and minimising flood risk including flood resilient construction; c. Considering the type and source of the materials used; d. Minimising waste and maximising recycling during construction and operation; e. Being flexible and adaptable to future occupier needs; and f. Incorporating measures to enhance biodiversity value. 2. In meeting the carbon reduction targets set out in Building Regulations, the Council will expect development to be designed in accordance with the following energy hierarchy: a. Reduce energy demand through energy efficiency measures. b. Supply energy through efficient means (i.e. low carbon technologies). c. Utilise renewable energy generation. 3. A Sustainable Buildings Statement should demonstrate how the requirements of Climate Change policies in this Plan and any other relevant local climate change strategies have been met, and consider any potential coal mining legacy issues including land stability. 4. A comprehensive update of the Delivering a More Sustainable City SPD incorporating the approach to Building Sustainability Standards will be developed.

Overall Economy and Employment Strategy

1. The Council will work positively and proactively with the business community in the city, inward investors, the city's two Universities, key public sector employers, the CWLEP and neighbouring local authorities to support sustainable economic growth and job creation. In this regard the Council will: a. Promote continued diversification of the city's economic base, particularly through supporting the expansion of companies operating in growth sectors and partnership working with the city's Universities to promote innovation; b. Ensure that job opportunities arising from employment development are accessible to all of the city's working age residents, particularly priority groups and those in the most deprived areas of the city; c. Provide for a readily available range and choice of employment sites and premises to meet projected need over the Plan period related to growth of the city's population and the pivotal role of the city in the CWLEP's ambitious growth agenda for the sub-region; d. Safeguard existing employment sites and premises from being lost to non-employment uses unless certain exceptional circumstances are demonstrated; e. Support companies, including Jaguar Land Rover, in retaining, expanding and/or relocating their headquarters operations within the city and support the provision of new infrastructure that encourages these companies to grow. f. Seek to direct office development to locations in the city centre and other defined centres with new large scale office development focused on the city centre's Friargate Business District; g. Ensure that new research and development, light industrial, general industrial and storage/distribution developments are appropriately sited and designed to maximise their accessibility by a choice of means of transport, have an acceptable impact on the highway network and to minimise the potential for environmental conflict with nearby sensitive land uses; h. Support tourism/visitor related development in respect of Coventry city centre, the Ricoh Arena and the Coventry and Warwick University Campuses. i. Support the continued growth of the city's two universities and in doing so maximise the economic development and other community benefits associated with them.

Provision of Employment Land and Premises

1. A total of 107ha of land are allocated for employment development within the city's administrative area. The allocations are as specified below together with details of the type of employment development that will be promoted on each of these sites. Site Ref | Site | Ward/LPA Area Ha (Hectares) | Employment Type JE2:1 | Friargate (part of mixed use site) | St. Michael's | 7 | Primarily B1a JE2:2 | Lyons Park | Bablake | 19 | B1, B2 & B8 JE2:3 | Whitley Business Park | Cheylesmore | 30 | B1b&c, B2 & B8 JE2:4 | Land at Baginton Fields and South East of Whitley Business Park | Cheylesmore | 25 | B1b&c, B2 & B8 JE2:5 | A45 Eastern Green (part of mixed use site) | Bablake | 15 | B1b&c, B2 & B8 JE2:6 | Whitmore Park (part of mixed use site) | Holbrook | 8 | B1b&c, B2 & B8 JE2:7 | Durbar Avenue (part of mixed use site) | Foleshill | 1.5 | B1b&c & B8 JE2:8 | Land at Aldermans Green Road and Sutton Stop (part of mixed use site) | Longford | 1.5 | B1c & B8 TOTAL | 107 2. The Friargate, A45 Eastern Green, Whitmore Park, Durbar Avenue and Alderman's Green Road and Sutton Stop employment allocations are to be progressed as part of wider mixed-use re-development schemes and should be supported by comprehensive Masterplans. 3. A minimum supply of new employment land on a 5 year rolling cycle of 58ha is required to be available at all times in Coventry and on sites outside but adjacent to the city's administrative boundary (the "Minimum Reservoir"). This will be achieved by using a combination of newly allocated and recycled land. A balanced portfolio of employment land supply offering a choice of sites will be maintained, with details of need and supply set out in the Annual Monitoring Report.

Non-Employment Uses on Employment Land

1. Proposals for the redevelopment in whole or in part of employment land for non-employment purposes will not be permitted unless it can be demonstrated that the part(s) of the site where non-employment development is proposed are: a. No longer suitable for employment use bearing in mind their physical characteristics, access arrangements and/or relationship to neighbouring land-uses and there is evidence of unsuccessful active and substantial marketing of the site for employment use using a variety of media which supports this; or b. It would not be financially viable to re-use or re-develop the land or buildings on the land in whole or in part for employment purposes; or c. The non-employment development proposed would be used for purposes which are clearly ancillary to and will support the operations of a primary employment use on the land; or d. The non-employment development would generate significant employment gains which are of sufficient weight to justify the loss of employment land 2. In addition to at least one of the above criteria being satisfied it will also need to be demonstrated that: a. The potential of the site to contribute to the employment land requirements of the city over the plan period is not significant; and b. The proposal would not significantly compromise the viability or deliverability of other adjacent employment land or land allocated in this Plan for employment development; and c. The proposal will not have an unacceptable adverse impact on the continuing operation of any nearby existing businesses. 3. Planning applications to which this Policy applies should be accompanied by written evidence to demonstrate that the proposed development satisfies the exceptions criteria highlighted above. 4. This Policy applies to land which is currently in use or was last used for employment purposes unless such land has been allocated in this Plan wholly for non-employment use.

Location of Office Development

1. New office development (including change of use of buildings to provide office accommodation and the expansion of existing office uses) should normally be sited within Coventry city centre or other defined centres (as defined on the Policies Map). 2. The Friargate site within Coventry city centre is the Council's preferred location for new large scale office development. This site is allocated for primarily B1 office development under Policy JE2. 3. Proposals for new office development in other locations will only be permitted if the following criteria are satisfied: a. Having regard to locational factors, there are no suitable sequentially preferable sites available within the city centre, another defined centre or in an edge-of-centre location (if no Defined Centre sites are suitable and available); or b. The proposal is for small scale rural offices; 4. In addition to at least one of the above criteria being satisfied it will also need to be demonstrated that: a. The proposal would not have a significant adverse impact on the vitality and viability of defined centres and on existing, committed and planned public and private investment in office development within a defined centre; and b. The site is accessible by a choice of means of transport or will be made accessible by a choice of means of transport as a consequence of planning permission being granted for the development; and c. There is good access from the development to a primary route on the highway network and an acceptable impact on the capacity of that network; and d. The proposals are compatible with other Plan Policies. 5. Proposals for new office development outside of Defined Centres shall be accompanied by a Sequential Assessment and where a proposal is for 2,500 square metres (gross) or more of office floor space an Impact Assessment shall also be provided which examines the impact of the proposal on the vitality and viability of Defined Centres and its impact on existing, committed and planned public and private investment in office development within Defined Centres.

Location of R&D, Industrial and Storage/Distribution Development

1. The Council's preferred location for new Research & Development (R&D), industrial and storage/distribution development are the sites allocated for such purposes under Policy JE2 2. However, proposals for new R&D, industrial and storage/distribution development (including changes of use and the expansion of existing operations) on sites not allocated under Policy JE2, will be permitted provided that they are: a. Accessible by a choice of means of transport or will be made accessible by a choice of means of transport as a consequence of planning permission being granted for the development; b. Have good access to a primary route on the highway network and an acceptable impact on the capacity of that network; c. The proposal would not significantly compromise the viability or deliverability of land allocated in this Plan for employment development; d. The development is compatible with other Plan Policies. 3. In addition to the above, proposals for new general industrial and storage/distribution development (including changes of use and the expansion of existing operations) on all sites (including those allocated under Policy JE2) will also be required to demonstrate that the proposed development would not result in significant harm to the amenities of persons occupying nearby residential property or other land occupied by uses sensitive to environmental pollution.

Accessibility to Employment Opportunities

1. Planning applications for new employment development (including changes of use and the expansion of existing operations) will be required to demonstrate how job opportunities arising from the proposed development will be made accessible to the city's residents, particularly those in the most deprived areas of the city and priority groups. In this regard applicants will be expected to give consideration to a range of measures including: a. enhancement of the accessibility of the development to residents by a choice of means of transport; b. developments must be well designed to accommodate the needs of all transport modes and must be fully integrated with existing transport networks. c. the provision of support to residents in applying for jobs arising from the development; d. the provision of training opportunities to assist residents in accessing employment opportunities; e. childcare provision which enables residents to access employment opportunities; and/or f. measures to assist those with physical or mental health disabilities to access employment opportunities. 2. In respect of planning applications for new employment development the Council may require applicants to make financial or other contributions secured through planning obligations or its CIL Charging Schedule to maximise the accessibility of job opportunities to the city's residents.

Renewable Energy Generation

1. Proposals for the installation of renewable and low carbon energy technologies, including both building-integrated and standalone schemes will be promoted and encouraged, provided that: a. any significant adverse impacts can be mitigated; b. where biofuels are to be utilised, they should be obtained from sustainable sources and transportation distances are minimised; c. any energy centre is suitably located and designed to a high quality such that it is sympathetically integrated with its surroundings; d. all proposals are consistent with any relevant Policies in this Plan.

Sustainable Development Policy

1. When considering development proposals the Council will take a positive approach that reflects the presumption in favour of sustainable development contained in the National Planning Policy Framework. It will work proactively with applicants to find solutions to enable proposals to be approved wherever possible, and to secure development that improves the economic, social and environmental conditions in the area, including: a. access to a variety of high quality green and blue infrastructure; b. access to job opportunities; c. use of low carbon, renewable and energy efficient technologies; d. the creation of mixed sustainable communities through a variety of dwelling types, sizes, tenures and range of community facilities e. increased health, wellbeing and quality of life; f. measures to adapt to the impacts of climate change; g. access to sustainable modes of transport; h. preservation and enhancement of the historic environment; and i. sustainable waste management. 2. Planning applications that accord with the policies in the Coventry Local Plan (and, where relevant, with policies in supporting plans) will be approved without delay, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. 3. Where there are no policies relevant to the application or relevant policies are out of date at the time of making the decision then the Council will grant permission unless material considerations indicate otherwise. 4. This will take into account: a. Any adverse impacts of granting permission that would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework taken as a whole; or b. Specific policies in that Framework that indicate that development should be restricted.

Planning for Climate Change Adaptation

1. All development is required to be designed to be resilient to, and adapt to the future impacts of, climate change through the inclusion of the following adaptation measures: a. using layout, building orientation, construction techniques and materials and natural ventilation methods to mitigate against rising temperatures; b. optimising the use of multi-functional green infrastructure, including tree planting for urban cooling, local flood risk management and shading, c. incorporating water efficiency measures, such as the use of grey water and rainwater recycling, low water use sanitary equipment d. minimising vulnerability to flood risk by locating development in areas of low flood risk and including mitigation measures including SUDS in accordance with Policy EM4; e. Where applicable, maintain and enhance the canal network to reflect the canals' role in urban cooling. f. seek opportunities to make space for water and develop new blue infrastructure to accommodate climate change. 2. Applicants will be required to set out how the requirements of the policy have been complied with including justification for why the above measures have not been incorporated. 3. Where justification for non-compliance with the requirements is based on viability, this will need to be clearly demonstrated through an open book financial appraisal.

Non Mineral Development in Mineral Safeguarding Areas

All non-mineral development proposals in the designated Mineral Safeguarding Areas should assess and evaluate the legacy of past mining heritage and should consider this in accordance with Policy EM2. It should also ensure that development does not entirely sterilise any potential future mineral extraction should this become viable and desirable. This should be considered in partnership with the Coal Authority.

Flood Risk Management

1. All major developments must be assessed in respect of the level of flood risk from all sources. If development in areas at risk of flooding is the only option following the application of the sequential test, it will only be permitted where all of the following criteria are met: a. the type of development is appropriate to the level of flood risk associated with its location with reference to Coventry's Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) flood zone maps and advice on appropriate uses within these zones from the Environment Agency and/or Lead Local Flood Authority; b. it is provided with the appropriate minimum standard of flood defence and resilience to aid recovery (including suitable warning and evacuation procedures) which can be maintained for the lifetime of the development; c. it does not impede flood flows, does not increase the flood risk on site or elsewhere or result in a loss of floodplain storage capacity; d. in the case of dwellings, it is evident that as a minimum, safe, dry pedestrian access would be available to land not at high risk; e. in the case of essential infrastructure, access must be guaranteed and must be capable of remaining operational during all flooding events. 2. All opportunities to reduce flood risk in the surrounding area must be taken, including creating additional flood storage. In this instance reference should be made to the Councils IDP or Regulation 123 list. In order to achieve this: a. the functional floodplain (Flood Zone 3b) should be protected from development and reinstated in brownfield areas wherever possible; b. single storey buildings, basements and buildings on stilts will not be acceptable in Flood Zone 3; c. all opportunities to undertake river restoration and enhancement including de-culverting, removing unnecessary structures and reinstating a natural, sinuous watercourse will be encouraged; d. unless shown to be acceptable through exceptional circumstances, development should be set back at least 8m (from the top of bank or toe of a flood defence) of Main Rivers and 5m from Ordinary watercourses for maintenance access. This includes existing culverted watercourses. e. finished floor levels must be set a minimum of 600mm above the 1% AEP (1 in 100 year) plus climate change flood level. 3. For sites in Flood Zone 3a, development should not impede flow routes, reduce floodplain storage or consume flood storage in a 'flood cell' within a defended area. If the development does result in a loss of storage, compensatory floodplain storage should be provided on a 'level for level' and 'volume for volume' basis. 4. For sites in Flood Zone 3a, all types of new development behind flood defences should be avoided, where possible, due to the residual risks of breach and overtopping. Development should ensure that it would not prevent the water bodies' ability to reach good status or its potential to do so as set in the Severn River Basin Management Plans and should support, where possible, to improving the status class. 5. A sequential, risk-based approach to the location of suitable development will be undertaken by the Council based on the Environment Agency's latest flood maps, SFRA flood zones and Vulnerability Classification to steer new development to areas with the lowest probability of flooding avoiding, where possible, flood risk to people and property and managing any residual risk. 6. The Exception Test (for use when there are large areas in Flood Zones 2 and 3, where the Sequential Test alone cannot deliver acceptable sites, but where some continuing development is necessary) will apply where development will provide wider sustainability benefits that outweigh flood risk, fully informed by an appropriately scaled Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) which indicates that development will be safe for its lifetime taking account of the vulnerability of its users, without increasing flood risk elsewhere, and, where possible reducing flood risk overall. 7. Land that is required for current and future flood management will be safeguarded from development. Where development lies adjacent to or benefits from an existing or future flood defence scheme they may be expected to contribute towards the cost of delivery and/or maintenance of that scheme in accordance with Policy IM1. 8. A Flood Risk Assessment is required, appropriate to the scale and nature of the development proposed, where the development is: a. within a river floodplain, as defined by the Coventry SFRA indicative flood zone maps; b. within 20 metres of any watercourse; c. adjacent to, or including, any flood bank or other flood control structure; d. within an area where there may be surface water issues and drainage problems;

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)

1. All development must apply SuDS and should ensure that surface water runoff is managed as close to its source as possible. 2. SuDS are the preferred way of managing and conveying surface water. All developments will consider and demonstrate how the following hierarchy for the discharge of surface water from a site will be applied: a. Discharge by infiltration and water reuse technologies. b. Discharge to a watercourse allied with water reuse technologies. c. Discharge to surface water sewer allied with water reuse technologies. 3. All development should carry out infiltration tests and a ground water risk assessment, including seasonal groundwater monitoring, to demonstrate whether infiltration is possible and that ground water would not be polluted to Environment Agency and Lead Local Flood Authority requirements. Where it is proven that infiltration is not possible, allied with water reuse technologies, surface water should be discharged into a watercourse (in agreement with the Environment Agency and Lead Local Flood Authority) at a rate no greater than Qbar greenfield runoff, or an appropriate minimum rate for small sites, agreed by the Lead Local Flood Authority. If there is no watercourse available then, allied with water reuse technologies, surface water should be discharged to a surface water sewer at a rate no greater than Qbar greenfield runoff. 4. In exceptional circumstances, where a sustainable drainage system cannot be provided, it must be demonstrated that it is not possible to incorporate sustainable drainage systems, and an acceptable means of surface water disposal is provided at source which does not increase the risk of flooding or give rise to environmental problems and improves on the current situation with a reduction in peak and total discharge. 5. The long-term maintenance arrangements for all SuDS must be agreed with the relevant risk management authority. A separate SPD will be produced to detail how SuDS schemes will be designed in accordance with the technical standards set out by the Coventry Lead Local Flood Authority and by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Redevelopment of Previously Developed Land

1. Development will be permitted where proposals do not have a negative impact on water quality, either directly through pollution of surface or ground water or indirectly through the treatment of waste water by whatever means. 2. Prior to any potential development, consultation must be held with Severn Trent Water to ensure that the required wastewater infrastructure is in place in sufficient time. In line with the objectives of the Water Framework Directive, development must not affect the water bodies' ability to reach good status or its potential as set in the Humber and Severn River Basin Management Plans and should support, where possible, to improving the status class. 3. Developers and operators must provide adequate information when submitting their proposals so that the potential impact on groundwater resources and quality can be adequately assessed. This should include a risk assessment demonstrating there would be no adverse effect on water resources. 4. Development will not be permitted within a groundwater Source Protection Zone 1 which would physically disturb an aquifer. This will include situations where proposed waste water infrastructure could pose an unacceptable risk of pollution of the underlying aquifer or receiving watercourse.

Air Quality

1. Major development schemes should promote a shift to the use of sustainable low emission transport (electric vehicles and vehicles that use biofuels) to minimise the impact of vehicle emissions on air quality. Development will be located where it is accessible to support the use of public transport, walking and cycling. All major development proposals should be suitably planned to design out any adverse impact on air quality and be in accordance with the West Midlands Transport Emissions Framework and associated policies. 2. Major Development proposals will require the submission of an air quality assessment, as they may lead to a significant deterioration in local air quality resulting in unacceptable effects on human health, local amenity or the natural environment. The air quality assessment should address: a. The existing background levels of air quality; b. The cumulative background levels of air quality (related to the cumulative impact of developments in an area); c. The feasibility of any measures of mitigation that would prevent the national air quality objectives being exceeded, or would reduce the extent of the air quality deterioration. 3. A Supplementary Planning Document will be developed to support this Policy.

Waste Management

1. The Council's Waste Management Strategy will be supported through: a. encouraging less consumption of raw materials through the reduction and re-use of waste products; b. a requirement for development proposals to incorporate adequate storage for waste and recycling services along with safe access for collection vehicles; c. encouragement of new methods of processing and recycling at waste management sites; d. supporting recycling proposals for aggregate materials subject to the criteria in part 2 of this policy; e. Existing waste management facilities or land allocated for waste management uses being protected from encroachment by incompatible land uses that are more sensitive to odour, noise, dust and pest impacts; and f. Proposals for waste management facilities only being permitted where they would not have an unacceptable impact on the quantity or quality of surface or groundwater resources. 2. Proposed new or expanded waste management facilities will be assessed against the following criteria: a. The effect of the proposed waste facility upon the environment and neighbouring land uses; b. The impact of traffic generated by the proposal and the availability of alternative transit modes, such as rail and waterways; c. The need for pollution control measures appropriate to the type of waste to be processed or handled; d. The impact of proposals on residential amenity. New waste facilities will not normally be approved adjacent to existing housing and proposals for anaerobic digestion will not be approved in close proximity to existing housing; e. The effect of proposals on aircraft safety; and f. The design of the proposal. Careful consideration should be given to the need to minimise environmental and visual impact. Wherever feasible, waste operations should be enclosed within buildings or sealed structures in order to minimise impacts on adjacent uses from noise, ordure, vermin and wildlife. Proposals advocating open air unenclosed storage of organic odour producing material will not be supported. 3. Proposals will be supported where it is demonstrated that these criteria are satisfied. 4. Development proposals should demonstrate measures to minimise the generation of waste in the construction, use and life of buildings and promote more sustainable approaches to waste management, including the reuse and recycling of construction waste and the promotion of layouts and designs that provide adequate space to facilitate waste storage, reuse, recycling and composting.

Safeguarding Mineral Resources

1. Mineral Safeguarding Areas are defined for mineral reserves that are considered to be of current or future economic importance. Where developments are proposed in these areas, the application needs to acknowledge the presence of these mineral reserves. The extent of Mineral Safeguarding Areas are defined on the Policies Map.

Green Belt and Local Green Space

1. The city's most up-to-date Green Belt and Local Green Space boundaries are identified on the Policies Map. 2A: Inappropriate development will not be permitted in the Coventry Green Belt unless very special circumstances exist. Development proposals, including those involving previously developed land and buildings, in the Green Belt will be assessed in relation to the relevant national planning policy. 2B: Within areas designated as Local Green Space, the erection of small buildings and structures which are ancillary to the primary use of the land may be acceptable. Other development will not be permitted unless very special circumstances are demonstrated. 3. The following areas will be removed from the Green Belt to accommodate future development needs and are shown on the Policies Map. Where appropriate further details are provided in Policy JE2, H2 and HE3; a. Land part of the Wood End redevelopment (residential) b. Land at Sutton Stop (residential and employment) c. Land south at Walsgrave Hill Farm (residential) d. Land at Keresley (residential) e. Land north of Upper Eastern Green (residential and employment) f. Land at Cromwell Lane (residential) g. Land at Mitchell Avenue (residential) h. Land off Allard Way/London Road (residential) i. Land at Cheltenham Croft (residential) j. Land east of Browns Lane (residential) k. Land west of Browns Lane/Burton Close (residential) l. Land at Cryfield Heights (residential) m. Land at Woodfield School, Stoneleigh Road (Residential and infrastructure) n. Land south of Blue Coats School (Heritage and Education) o. Land at Baginton Fields and South East of Whitley Business Park (employment) p. Land to the east of the existing Energy from Waste plant at Bar Road (general industrial) 4. The following areas will be removed from the Green Belt and re-designated as Local Green Space and are shown on the Policies Map: a. Sowe Valley b. Sherbourne Valley c. War Memorial Park d. Tocil Wood Brook Stray e. Park Wood and Ten Shilling Wood f. Tile Hill Wood g. Allesley Park 5. The following areas will be removed from the Green Belt and will not be re-designated as Local Green Space as they do not serve the purposes of either: a. Land at Park Hill Lane b. Land at Westwood School and Xcel Leisure Centre 6. The following areas will be designated as new areas of Local Green Space and are shown on the Policies Map: a. Sowe Valley Northern Extension b. Sherbourne Valley and Lake View Park c. Walsgrave Triangle, Cross Point. 7. In addition to appropriate development in the Green Belt identified in the NPPF, limited infill development would be considered appropriate. Any proposal in these locations will be expected to be of an appropriate density to reflect surrounding properties should not impact negatively on the openness and character of the wider Coventry Green Belt and will also need to accord with Policy H3.

Safeguarded Land in the Green Belt

1. The areas of Safeguarded Land proposed partly or wholly comprise the following sites and are shown on the Policies Map. a. Land south of Westwood Heath Road; b. Land south of Bishop Ullathorne School; c. Playing Field south of Finham Park School; and d. Land west of Finham Primary School. Any development of these sites will be subject to consideration through a full or partial review of this Local Plan having explicit regard to development proposals in Warwick District.

Green Infrastructure

1. The Council will protect green infrastructure based on an analysis of existing assets, informed by the Green Infrastructure Study and Green Space Strategy by incorporating the Council's Green Space Standards, and characterisation assessments. 2. New development proposals should make provision for green infrastructure to ensure that such development is integrated into the landscape and contributes to improvements in connectivity and public access, biodiversity, landscape conservation, design, archaeology and recreation. 3. Coventry's existing and planned network of green infrastructure should be used as a way of adapting to climate change through the management and enhancement of existing habitats. This must be demonstrated through the creation of new habitats wherever possible to assist with species movement, to provide a source of locally grown food through allotments and community gardens, to provide sustainable and active travel routes for people, to provide shade and counteract the urban heat island effect, and to assist in improving public health and wellbeing. 4. New development will be expected to maintain the quantity, quality and functionality of existing green infrastructure. Where quantity is not retained, enhancement to quality is expected. Where the opportunity arises, and in line with the city's most up-to-date Green Space Strategy, the Council will also expect new developments to enhance green infrastructure, and create and improve linkages between individual areas. Any development which is likely to adversely affect the integrity of a green corridor

Green Space

1. Development involving the loss of green space that is of value for amenity, recreational, outdoor sports and/or community use will not be permitted unless specifically identified as part of a strategic land use allocation, or it can be demonstrated that: a. An assessment showing there is no longer a demand, or prospect of demand, for the recreational use of the site or any other green space use; or b. A deficiency would not be created through its loss, measured against the most up-to-date Coventry Green Space standards; or c. The loss resulting from any proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality in a suitable location of the city. 2. To support the proposed allocations at H2:19 and JE2:4 the following sites are allocated for the provision of new replacement sports pitches: a. Land at Charter Avenue (former Alderman Harris School site). b. Land east of Coundon Wedge Road.

Biodiversity, Geological, Landscape and Archaeological Conservation

1. Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Local Nature Reserves (LNRs), Ancient Woodlands, Local Wildlife and Geological Sites will be protected and enhanced. Proposals for development on other sites, having biodiversity or geological conservation value, will be permitted provided that they protect, enhance and/or restore habitat biodiversity. Development proposals will be expected to ensure that they: a. lead to a net gain of biodiversity, where appropriate, by means of an approved ecological assessment of existing site features and development impacts; b. protect or enhance biodiversity assets and secure their long term management and maintenance; c. avoid negative impacts on existing biodiversity; d. preserve species which are legally protected, in decline, are rare within Coventry or which are covered by national, regional or local Biodiversity Action Plans. 2. Where this is not possible, adequate mitigation measures must be identified. If mitigation measures are not possible on site, then compensatory measures involving biodiversity offsetting will be considered, but only in exceptional circumstances. 3. Biodiversity will be encouraged particularly in areas of deficiency, in areas of development and sustainable urban extensions, and along wildlife corridors. Opportunities will be sought to restore or recreate habitats, or enhance the linkages between them, as part of the strategic framework for green infrastructure. Protected Species, and species and habitats identified in the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP), will be protected and conserved through a buffer or movement to alternative habitat. Identified important landscape features, including Historic Environment assets, trees protected by preservation orders, individual and groups of ancient trees, ancient and newly-planted woodlands, ancient hedgerows and heritage assets of value to the locality, will be protected against loss or damage. In the case of archaeological remains, all practical measures must be taken for their assessment and recording in accordance with Policy HE2.

Tree Protection

1. Development proposals will be positively considered provided: a. there is no unacceptable loss of, or damage to, existing trees or woodlands during or as a result of development, any loss should be supported by a tree survey; b. trees not to be retained as a result of the development are replaced with new trees as part of a well-designed landscape scheme; and c. existing trees worthy of retention are sympathetically incorporated into the overall design of the scheme including all necessary measures taken to ensure their continued protection and survival during construction. 2. Development proposals that seek to remove trees that are subject to 'Protection', without justification, will not be permitted.

Conservation Areas

1. The areas listed below have been designated as Conservation Areas under Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and are detailed on the Policies Map: a. Allesley b. Chapelfields c. Coventry Canal d. Far Gosford Street e. Greyfriars Green f. Hawkesbury Junction g. High Street h. Hill Top i. Ivy Farm Lane j. Kenilworth Road k. Lady Herbert's Garden and The Burges l. London Road m. Naul's Mill n. Spon End o. Spon Street p. Stoke Green 2. The following areas are proposed for designation as Conservation Areas: a. Earlsdon b. Brownshill Green The exact boundaries will be determined by the production of Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans following public consultation. 3. Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans will be produced for all of the Conservation Areas to guide their preservation and enhancement. All development proposals within Conservation Areas will be determined in accordance with this Plan and the appropriate Appraisal and Management Plan.

Conservation and Heritage Assets

1. In order to help sustain the historic character, sense of place, environmental quality and local distinctiveness of Coventry, development proposals will be supported where they conserve and, where appropriate, enhance those aspects of the historic environment which are recognised as being of special historic, archaeological, architectural, artistic, landscape or townscape significance. These Heritage Assets include: a. Listed Buildings and Locally Listed buildings; b. Conservation Areas; c. Scheduled Ancient Monuments and Archaeological sites; d. Registered Parks and Gardens; and e. Other places, spaces, structures and features which may not be formally designated but are recognised as significant elements of Coventry's heritage and are positively identified on the Coventry Historic Environment Record. 2. Proposals likely to affect the significance of a heritage asset or its setting should demonstrate an understanding of such significance using currently available evidence. 3. Development proposals involving heritage assets in general and listed buildings in particular, should acknowledge the significance of the existing building and the area by means of their siting, massing, form, scale, materials and detail. 4. The sympathetic and creative re-use of heritage assets will be encouraged, especially for heritage that is considered to be at risk, so long as it is not damaging to the significance of the heritage asset. The embodied energy present in historic buildings contributes to sustainability. 5. The Council will use its statutory powers to secure the preservation of buildings and other heritage assets that are deemed to be at risk by the national and local heritage at risk registers. 6. Demolition or destruction of heritage assets will be resisted; proposals to demolish a heritage asset will therefore need substantial justification. The greater the damage to the significance of the asset, the greater the justification required and the public benefit needed to outweigh such damage. 7. All proposals should aim to sustain and reinforce the special character and conserve the following distinctive historic elements of Coventry: a. The surviving buildings, defences and street plan of the medieval city centre and its suburbs; b. The surviving pre-industrial settlements and landscape features which have been subsumed by the expansion of the city such as Walsgrave, Canley, Binley, Brownshill Green, Coundon Green, Little Heath (Spring Road), Stivichall Croft and Lower Eastern Green (at Dial House Lane); c. The wider Arden rural environment on the fringe of the city

Heritage Park – Charterhouse

1. Proposals for a City Heritage Park in the grounds of the Charterhouse and London Road cemetery will be supported along with measures to improve linkages to the area along the River Sherbourne (between Charterhouse and Far Gosford Street), the former Coventry loop railway line and across the London Road. Proposals that are detrimental to the establishment of the heritage park and the improvement of linkages will be resisted. 2. Land at Blue Coat School is to be removed from the Green Belt in accordance with policy GB1 to support the expansion of school facilities on condition that the existing school car park is removed from the area of the Charterhouse Scheduled Ancient Monument. In addition, the expansion of the school should also support the appropriate relocation of the all-weather sports facilities and playground areas to secure the enhancement of the riverside area. This should facilitate the re-naturalisation of the area in an appropriate way in order to enhance the setting of the Charterhouse, its precinct and the Heritage Park as a whole. 3. The creation of the Heritage Park and expansion of Blue Coat School should be guided by a comprehensive Master plan, which reflects the policies of this Plan (including Appendix 4).

Provision of New Housing

1. New residential development, including opportunities for self-build homes and starter homes, must provide a high quality residential environment which assists in delivering urban regeneration or contributes to creating sustainable communities and which overall enhances the built environment. 2. In addition, opportunities to provide self-build homes and starter homes will be considered acceptable as part of limited infill within existing ribbon developments within the Green Belt where it is demonstrated that they do not have an adverse impact upon the openness and integrity of the wider Green Belt. 3. A suitable residential environment will include safe and appropriate access, have adequate amenity space and parking provision and be safe from environmental pollutants such as land contamination, excessive noise and air quality issues. 4. Wherever possible new developments should also be: a. within 2km radius of local medical services; b. within 1.5km of a designated centre within the city hierarchy (policy R3); c. within 1km radius of a primary school; d. within 1km of indoor and outdoor sports facilities; e. within 400m of a bus stop; and f. within 400m of publicly accessible green space. 5. Proposals should also be in conformity with all other relevant plan policies. 6. Sustainable transport provision and the infrastructure required to support housing development must be considered from the onset, to ensure all sites have easy access to high quality public transport and walking and cycling routes. 7. The delivery of self-build homes will be supported where they meet the criteria of this policy.

Securing a Mix of Housing

1. The Council will require proposals for residential development to include a mix of market housing which contributes towards a balance of house types and sizes across the city in accordance with the latest Strategic Housing Market Assessment. 2. In assessing the housing mix in residential schemes the Council may take into account the following circumstances where it may not be appropriate to provide the full range of housing types in accordance with the latest Strategic Housing Market Assessment: a) physical constraints, such as those associated with small sites of less than 5 houses and conversion schemes, where opportunities for a range of different house types are limited; b) locational issues, such as highly accessible sites within or close to a designated centre where larger homes and low/ medium densities may not be appropriate; c) sites with severe development constraints where housing mix may impact on viability; d) sites where particular house types and/ or building forms may be required in order to sustain or enhance the setting of a heritage asset; and e) developments in parish or neighbourhood plan areas, where there is an up-to-date local housing needs assessment which provides a more appropriate indication of housing need.

Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation

1. Provision will be made for at least 16 permanent pitches for Gypsies and Travellers through the re-modelling of the site at Siskin Drive, Coventry (as identified on the Policies Map). 2. Proposals for additional permanent and temporary Gypsy and Traveller sites outside of the Green Belt (and within it, if very special circumstances have been demonstrated) will be assessed against the following criteria: a. The sites use should not conflict with other development plan policies or national planning policy relating to issues such as risk from flooding, contamination or agricultural land quality; b. Sites should be located within reasonable travelling distance of local services and community facilities, including a primary school; c. The site should enable safe and convenient pedestrian and vehicle access to and from the public highway, and adequate space for vehicle parking, turning and servicing; d. The site should be served by adequate water and sewerage connections, power and waste facilities; e. The use of the site should not have an adverse impact on the amenities of occupiers of nearby properties or the appearance or character of the area in which it would be situated.

Housing Land Requirements

1. Provisions will be made for a minimum of 24,600 additional dwellings between 2011 and 2031. 2. As part of the housing trajectory (Appendix 1), this requirement is to be stepped in the following way: a. 2011-2016 (first 5 years): 1,020 homes per annum b. 2017-2031 (following 15 years): 1,300 homes per annum 3. Housing land will be released in order to maintain a continuous 5 year supply of housing land in order to support a varied and flexible land supply to support housing delivery and sustainable development. This will be monitored through the Council's Annual Monitoring Report.

Student Accommodation

1. Purpose-built student accommodation and conversions of residential and non-residential properties to student accommodation will be encouraged where: a. It is directly accessible from the universities: b. Such development can play a part in the regeneration of the immediate neighbourhoods without disadvantage to local services. c. It will not materially harm the amenities of occupiers of nearby properties; and d. It will reflect and support or enhance the appearance and character of the area. 2. To support the intended use of the proposals the specified tenure will be secured through a Section 106 agreement.

Homes in Multiple Occupation (HiMOs)

1. The development of purpose built HiMOs or the conversion of existing homes or non-residential properties to large HiMOs will not be permitted in areas where the proposals would materially harm: a. the amenities of occupiers of nearby properties (including the provision of suitable parking provisions); b. the appearance or character of an area; c. local services; and d. The amenity value and living standards of future occupants of the property, having specific regard to internal space and garden/amenity space.

Housing Allocations

1. Table 4.2 identifies the sites to be allocated for housing development alongside essential details that will support the principles of sustainable development. The development of all sites will also need to be considered in accordance with other policies in this Local Plan (and supporting documents) and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan, with the infrastructure needs of each site to be secured through legal agreements and/or the Council's CIL Charging Schedule where appropriate. 2. The urban extension proposals at Keresley and Eastern Green are to be brought forward in full accordance with comprehensive Masterplans and in accordance with the Council's Urban Extension Design Guidance SPD.

Managing Existing Housing Stock

1. Where appropriate, the existing housing stock will be renovated and improved, in association with the enhancement of the surrounding residential environment and to meet local housing needs. Where appropriate these works should include opportunities to improve energy efficiency of existing homes. 2. The conversion of buildings from non-residential to residential use will be supported providing a satisfactory residential environment is created and the proposals are compatible with other Plan Policies. 3. Demolition and redevelopment schemes will be supported where existing housing stock does not meet local housing market needs, and its redevelopment represents the principles of sustainable development.

Affordable Housing

1. New residential schemes of 25 dwellings or more (excluding student accommodation), or more than 1ha, will be expected to provide 25% of all dwellings as affordable homes. 2. Proposals within areas of existing high concentration (shown on Figure 4.1) should make provisions as follows: a. 10% Social/Affordable Rental provision b. 15% Intermediate Provision 3. Proposals within areas of existing medium concentration (shown on Figure 4.1) should make provisions as follows: a. 12.5% Social/Affordable Rental provision b. 12.5% Intermediate Provision 4. Proposals within areas of existing low concentration (shown on Figure 4.1) should make provisions as follows: a. 15% Social/Affordable Rental provision b. 10% Intermediate Provision 5. Where the specified level of affordable housing cannot be provided, including for reasons of viability, robust evidence must be presented to justify a reduced or alternative form of contribution. 6. Through appropriate design standards, new affordable housing units must be appropriately integrated within the development and with other affordable homes adjoining the site. 7. Through engagement with the Council, Registered Providers, and having regard to the recommendations of the SHMA, developers should ensure that affordable housing contributions comprise dwellings of the right size, type, affordability and tenure to meet local needs.

Care Homes, Supported Housing, Nursing Homes and Older Persons accommodation

1. Proposals for care homes, nursing homes and other specialist and supported forms of housing for the elderly and those requiring care will be encouraged in areas that are accessible by a choice of means of transport and that are situated in close proximity to key local services. 2. Proposals should be of a high quality and design and be compatible with the character of the surrounding area.

Residential Density

1. Residential development, including conversions, must make the most effective and efficient use of land whilst ensuring compatibility with the quality, character and amenity of the surrounding area. 2. Therefore, outside of the Ring Road (The A4053) a minimum of 35 dwellings per hectare (net) should be provided on Previously Developed Land. 3. Developments inside the Ring Road (The A4053) should aim to achieve a minimum of 200 dwellings per hectare (net). 4. Developments on Greenfield sites should achieve a minimum of 30 dwellings per hectare (net).

Broadband and Mobile Internet

1. Developers of new developments (residential, employment and commercial) will be expected to facilitate and contribute towards the provision of broadband infrastructure suitable to enable the delivery of broadband services across Coventry to ensure that the appropriate service is available to those who need it. 2. Developers must make sure that broadband services that meet the ambitions of the Digital Communications Infrastructure Strategy and the European Digital Agenda are available, wherever practicable, to all residents of the development at market prices and with a full choice of all UK service providers. 3. Developers are required to work with a recognised network carrier to design a bespoke duct network, for the development. 4. Other forms of infrastructure, such as facilities supporting mobile broadband and Wi-Fi, should be included, wherever possible and viable and should be designed in a sympathetic and appropriate way in order to reflect the character of the surrounding area.

Telecommunications

1. When considering notifications, planning applications and prior approval applications, regard will be given to the following factors: a. a) operational requirements of the telecommunication networks and the technical limitations of the technology, including any technical constraints on the location of telecommunications apparatus; b. b) the need for the ICNIRP Guidelines (and any other relevant guidance in place at the time of the application) for safe emissions to be met; c. c) the potential for sharing existing masts, buildings and other structures; d. the impact of the development on its surroundings with particular regard to the following criteria: i. the visual amenity, character or appearance of the surrounding area. ii. apparatus and associated structures sited on a building should be sited and designed in order to seek to minimise impact to the external appearance of the host building. iii. development should not have an unacceptable effect on conservation areas or buildings of architectural or historic interest or areas of ecological interest or areas of landscape value or sites of archaeological importance. iv. iv. the proposed provision of landscaping. 2. Telecommunications equipment that has become obsolete or that is no longer in use should be removed as soon as practicable and the site restored to its former condition.

Developer Contributions for Infrastructure

1. Development will be expected to provide, or contribute towards provision of: a. Measures to directly mitigate its impact and make it acceptable in planning terms; b. Physical, social and green infrastructure to support the needs associated with the development 2. Infrastructure and mitigation measures will be provided in a timely manner to support the objectives of the Plan. 3. The Council will, where appropriate, seek to secure site-specific infrastructure investments and/or contributions as well as off-site contributions and/or investments. The nature and scale of these will be related to the form of development and its potential impact on the site and surrounding area. The cumulative impact of developments will also be taken into account. 4. Developer contributions in the form of Planning Obligations and/or Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) will contribute towards strategic infrastructure required to support the overall development in the Plan. This will focus primarily on category 1 infrastructure as identified in the IDP and/or Regulation 123 list. 5. Where site specific issues generate viability concerns, applicants should discuss these with the Council at the earliest possible stage in the development process. Proposals that are unable to comply with the Plan's policies on viability grounds must be accompanied by a detailed Viability Assessment. 6. The Council will work in partnership with infrastructure providers and other delivery agencies in updating the Infrastructure Delivery Plan to ensure an up to date evidence base regarding infrastructure requirements and costs is maintained.

Overall Development Needs

1. Over the Plan period significant levels of housing, employment and retail development will be planned for and provided along with supporting infrastructure and environmental enhancements:- a. A minimum of 24,600 additional homes. b. A minimum of 128ha of employment land within the city's administrative boundary, including: i. at least 176,000sq.m of office floor space at Friargate and the wider city centre, ii. the continued expansion of Whitley Business Park; and iii. 15ha strategic allocation adjoining the A45 as part of the Eastern Green sustainable urban extension c. 84,900sq.m gross retail based floor space (across use classes A1-A5 (including bulky goods)) and 21,900sq.m gross convenience floor space by 2031, of which at least 70,000sq.m is to be allocated to Coventry city centre. 2. Notwithstanding the above, Coventry's objectively assessed housing need for the period 2011 to 2031 is at least 42,400 additional homes and 369ha of employment land (including qualitative replacements). It is not possible to deliver all of this additional development land within the city boundary. As such, the Council will continue to work actively with neighbouring Councils through the Duty to Cooperate to ensure that appropriate provision is made elsewhere within the Housing Market Area. 3. The Council will undertake a comprehensive review of national policy, the regional context, updates to the evidence base and monitoring data before 31st March 2021 to assess whether a full or partial review of the Plan is required. In the event that a review is required, work on that review will commence immediately. Furthermore, the Plan will be reviewed (either wholly or partially) prior to the end of the Plan Period in the event of one or more of the following circumstances arising: - a. Through the Duty to Co-operate, the unmet housing and employment needs of the city are proven to be undeliverable within the Local Plans of Warwickshire authorities; b. Updated evidence or changes to national policy suggest that the overall development strategy should be significantly changed; c. The monitoring of the Local Plan (in line with the Plan's Monitoring Framework having particular regard to the monitoring of housing delivery) demonstrates that the overall development strategy or the policies are not delivering the Local Plan's objectives and requirements; d. Any other reasons that render the Plan, or part of it, significantly out of date.

The Duty to Cooperate

1. Coventry City Council will work with neighbouring authorities within it's Housing Market Area to support the delivery of the development needs identified in Policy DS1 that originate from the city. 2. In order to ensure the affordable housing needs of the city are met, the Council will work with its neighbouring authorities to secure opportunities for Coventry citizens to access affordable homes within Warwickshire where they are delivered as part of the city's wider housing needs being met. 3. The Council will support the preparation of joint strategic evidence which will enable the successful delivery of regeneration and economic growth across the sub-region. The Council will continue to be proactive in this regard and will seek to cooperate with all partners on an on-going basis across all topic areas including housing, infrastructure, economy and jobs, transport, health and the environment. 4. Should the need arise and should it be considered appropriate the Council is committed to working with partners on preparing joint development plan documents, supplementary planning documents and design guides to help deliver new sustainable development that may straddle or adjoin the city's administrative boundary. 5. Where sites cross or are adjacent to administrative boundaries and are not subject to joint development plan documents, the Council will continue to work proactively and on an on-going basis with all relevant partners to enable the delivery of new development on these sites. 6. Of particular relevance to parts 4 and 5 of this policy are the continued growth and expansion of: a. Jaguar Land Rover at Whitley; b. The University of Warwick; c. The wider Coventry Gateway proposals; d. Ansty Park; e. Pro-Logis Park at Keresley; and f. Proposed residential developments to the south of the city's administrative boundary. 7. The Council is committed to supporting the economic growth objectives of the sub-region and, in partnership with the CWLEP will continue to work pro-actively will all partners to deliver economic growth and prosperity across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Tourism/Visitor Related Development

1. Proposals for development within Coventry city centre (as defined on the Policies Map) or on sites at or adjacent to the Ricoh Arena or the Coventry and Warwick University campuses which would contribute towards the city's role as a tourist destination will be supported subject to compatibility with other Plan Policies.

Delivering Retail Growth

1. The following sites/areas are allocated to support the provision of retail floor space across Coventry. These schemes are to be delivered in accordance with the specifications in this policy and other policies within this plan and the City Centre AAP as appropriate. Site Proposed floor space (sq.m gross) Details City centre At least 70,100 A1-A5 uses of varying size (including bulky goods retail where appropriate) to be delivered through the Area Action Plan at City Centre South, City Centre North, Friargate, City Centre Supermarket and wider support for the creation of active frontages within the wider city centre. Also includes allowance for city centre vacant units. New Eastern Green Major District Centre Up to 10,000 To include approx. 5,000sq.m for a new superstore, 4,000sq.m of predominantly bulky goods retail and up to 1,000sq.m of small scale local provisions. Cannon Park Major District Centre* 6,200 New A1 elements of the scheme should be restricted to convenience and bulky goods retail. Non A1 uses will be supported to encourage diversification of the centre, especially around A2-A5 uses. New Keresley Local Centre south 1,500 Local centre to include a range of small scale units providing a range of local community uses and top up provisions. New Keresley Local Centre north 1,000 Local centre to include a range of small scale units providing a range of community uses and top up provisions. Brade Drive District Centre 1,000 New retail floor space should be focused around new A1-A5 uses and other non-retail uses. This should be delivered in small scale units to support local needs and help diversify the centre's current offer. Jardine Crescent District Centre 500 New floor space to be provided as part of mixed use schemes within amended centre boundary A1-A5 uses to be provided, which reflect the existing character of the centre. 2. The comprehensive redevelopment of the Riley Square element of Bell Green District Centre will be supported in accordance with an overarching Masterplan for the area. 3. Further retail provision at Arena Park Major District Centre will not be supported during the plan period unless it is demonstrated that it will not have a significant adverse impact on the city centre or is an essential element of supporting the wider parks tourism functions.

Coventry City Centre – Development Strategy

1. The city centre will continue to be developed and regenerated to ensure it is a truly world class city centre, leading in design, sustainability and culture. This will be achieved by: a. Enhancement of its position as a focus for the entire sub-region and as a national and international destination to live, work and play; b. Enhancement of its retail and leisure offer to strengthen the city's sub-regional role; c. Provision of high quality office space; d. Becoming a hub for education; e. Including a variety of places to live which cater for different needs; f. Preserving or enhancing the character and setting of the historic built landscape and the archaeological environment; g. A connected public realm including public squares and green spaces, easily accessible through the creation of desirable and legible pedestrian routes; h. Accessible for all; i. Providing an attractive and safe environment for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists; j. Provide a high quality public transport system that benefits from seamless integration and is well connected to existing and new infrastructure; k. High quality sustainable built design; l. Continuing to develop a vibrant and attractive night time economy; m. Providing opportunities to improve health and wellbeing; n. Continuing to support greater integration of the university within the wider city centre in accordance with the policies in the Area Action Plan; o. Recognising and preserving key views to the iconic three spires of St Michaels, Holy Trinity and Christchurch; p. Supporting the reintroduction of green and blue infrastructure throughout the city centre, including opportunities for deculverting wherever possible. 2. An Area Action Plan will be developed to help deliver this strategy and support and guide development within the city centre.

The Network of Centres

1. To support the city centre, the Council will designate, enhance, maintain and protect a network of Centres consisting of Major District Centres, District Centres and Local Centres. These Centres will be the preferred locations for new shops, and other Main Town Centre and community facility uses which do not serve a city-wide catchment. 2. In all these Centres: a. A balance will be sought between shops (Class A1), and other Main Town Centre and community uses in order to protect the vitality and viability of the centre as a whole; b. Proposals that reduce the concentration of A-class uses within a centre below 51% will not be approved; c. A residential element will be promoted and encouraged, subject to the creation of a satisfactory residential environment and so long as it does not undermine the functionality of the centre; d. Improvement to the environment and accessibility will be promoted and encouraged. 3. Major District Centres are shown on the Policies Map at: a. Arena Park; b. Cannon Park; c. Brandon Road; d. Eastern Green. They will complement but not compete with the city centre and will contain a scale of development which is demonstrated to not impact negatively on the city centre and supports the needs of their part of the city for: e. a mix of bulk convenience and comparison shopping as well as service and catering uses; f. social, community and leisure uses including hotels; g. offices. 4. District Centres are shown on the Policies Map at: a. Ball Hill; b. Bell Green; c. Brade Drive; d. Daventry Road; e. Earlsdon; f. Foleshill; g. Jardine Crescent; h. Jubilee Crescent. They will contain a scale of development which is demonstrated to not impact negatively on higher order centres and supports the needs of their district of the city for bulk convenience shopping as well as an element of comparison shopping, service and catering uses. Social, community, leisure and small scale office uses will also be acceptable. 5. Local Centres are shown on the Policies Map at: a. Acorn Street; b. Ansty Road; c. Baginton Road; d. Bannerbrook; e. Barkers Butts Lane; f. Binley Road; g. Birmingham Road; h. Broad Park Road; i. Charter Avenue; j. Far Gosford Street; k. Green Lane; l. Hillfields; m. Holbrook Lane; n. Holyhead Road; o. Keresley North; p. Keresley Road; q. Keresley South; r. Longford; s. Quorn Way; t. Radford Road; u. Station Avenue; v. Sutton Avenue; w. Walsgrave Road; x. Willenhall; y. Winsford Avenue. They will contain an appropriate scale of development which is demonstrated to not impact negatively on higher order centres and supports their immediate locality for day-to-day convenience shopping and also some service and restaurant uses; and social, community and leisure uses. Small scale office uses will also be acceptable.

Out of Centre Proposals

1. Proposals for retail and other Main Town Centre uses (including proposals for the expansion or re-configuration of existing uses and the variation of existing conditions) will not be permitted in out-of-centre locations unless they satisfy the Sequential Assessment and the Impact Test (where appropriate). 2. Sequential Assessment a. A Sequential Assessment will be required for all retail and other Main Town Centre use proposals outside a defined centre and should be prepared in accordance with national guidance. This should have regard to the centres hierarchy set out in policy R3. b. Where in-centre options are exhausted, edge of centre locations (within 300m of a centre boundary) that are well connected and accessible to the centres themselves should also be considered in advance of out of centre sites. 3. Impact Test a. An Impact Test will be required for all retail and other Main Town Centre use proposals outside a defined centre that exceed 1,000sq.m (gross) floor space. The Assessment of Impact should be prepared in accordance with national guidance and consider the potential impact on the vitality, viability, role and character of a defined centre(s) within the centres hierarchy (as set out in policy R3). b. Catchment areas for Sequential Assessments and Impact Tests will be considered on a case by case basis to reflect the specific proposals being considered.

Retail Frontages and Ground Floor Units in defined centres

1. Proposals to use ground floor units within defined centres for non-A class uses will normally be permitted provided that: a. the primary retail function of the centre would not be undermined in the context of Policy R3; b. the use would make a positive contribution to the overall role, vitality and viability of the centre; c. the use is compatible with other Plan policies. 2. The impact of a proposal on the primary retail function of a centre will be determined on the basis of: a. the location and prominence of the unit within the relevant frontage; b. the width of the frontage of the unit when compared to other units in the centre; c. the number and proximity of other units occupied by 'A' class uses; d. compatibility of the proposal with nearby uses.

Restaurants, Bars and Hot Food Takeaways

1. Outlets should be located within defined centres and will normally be discouraged outside those locations. 2. Proposals within defined centres will be permitted provided they: a. would not result in significant harm to the amenity of nearby residents or highway safety; b. would not result in harmful cumulative impacts due to the existence of any existing or consented proposed outlet; c. are in accordance with the emerging Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document (in particular, proposals for A5 uses); and d. are compatible with other Plan Policies.

Accessible Transport Network

1. Development proposals which are expected to generate additional trips on the transport network should: a. Integrate with existing transport networks including roads, public transport and walking and cycling routes to promote access by a choice of transport modes. b. Consider the transport and accessibility needs of everyone living, working or visiting the city. Special attention should be paid to the needs of disabled people, young children, and people with special needs. Special attention should be paid to the needs of an aging population to make Coventry an Age Friendly City. c. Support the delivery of new and improved high quality local transport networks which are closely integrated into the built form. This includes networks which support access to strategic growth corridors. The scale of measures required should be appropriate to the scale and impact of the proposed development. d. Actively support the provision and integration of emerging and future intelligent mobility infrastructure, including electric vehicle charging points, Car Club schemes and bicycle hire. 2. Further guidance will be contained in the Coventry Connected SPD.

Road Network

1. New development proposals which are predicted to have a negative impact on the capacity and/or safety of the highway network should: a. Mitigate and manage the traffic growth which they are predicted to generate to ensure that they do not cause unacceptable levels of traffic congestion, highway safety problems and poor air quality. Highway mitigation and management measures should focus firstly on demand management measures (Policy AC3) including the promotion of sustainable modes of travel, and secondly on the delivery of appropriate highway capacity interventions. Highway capacity interventions should be appropriate to the scale of development and expected impact and will be determined through the associated Transport Assessment. b. Developments should seek to support and accommodate, where appropriate, measures which facilitate enhancements to the wider transport network including those set out in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan. c. Be served by routes which are suitable for that purpose. Where this is not achievable, proposals will only be considered acceptable if appropriate interventions can be applied to suitably mitigate any negative impacts, including the construction of new access link roads. 2. The Infrastructure Delivery Plan sets out specific measures and funding sources for the transport network improvements which are required to support the delivery of the Local Plan. The level of financial contributions that will be sought from developers for highways infrastructure will be set out in the Council's Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule. The Council may also seek to secure the provision of transportation infrastructure through planning conditions and legal agreements. 3. Further guidance will be contained in the Coventry Connected SPD.

Demand Management

1. Transport Assessments will be required for developments which generate significant additional trips on the transport network. Thresholds for their requirement will be based on locally determined criteria set out in the Coventry Connected SPD. 2. Travel Plans will be required for new developments which generate significant additional traffic movements. Detailed guidance on the requirement for Travel Plans will be set out in the Coventry Connected SPD. 3. Proposals for the provision of car parking associated with new development will be assessed on the basis of parking standards set out in Appendix 5. 4. New development proposals which require changes to the highway network will be required to integrate with any existing UTMC and ITS infrastructure and strategy and development of the Key Route Network. 5. Further guidance will be contained in the Coventry Connected SPD

Walking and Cycling

1. Development proposals should incorporate appropriate safe and convenient access to walking and cycling routes. Where these links do not exist, new and upgraded routes will be required and these must appropriately link into established networks to ensure that routes are continuous. The expected type of provision will depend on the scale, use and location of the site. For larger developments, financial contributions may be required to support improved pedestrian and /or cycling routes on the wider network. Further details will be set out in the Coventry Connected SPD. 2. A complementary network of connected Quiet Streets will be developed which include physical measures to control and restrict certain traffic movements and vehicle speeds to create an environment where walking and cycling are the preferred modes of transport. These will prioritised through the development of SUE sites, but will also be considered within existing areas of the city which are negatively affected by increased traffic associated with new development. Financial contributions will be sought to deliver those proposals where the predicted impact of development traffic is significant and measures are needed to support an improved pedestrian and cycle environment. 3. Further details will be set out in the Coventry Connected SPD. 4. High quality cycle parking and associated facilities, such as changing, shower and storage, as part of new development proposals. The expected level of provision should be based on the cycle parking standards set out in the Appendix 5.

Bus and Rapid Transit

1. New major development proposals should have safe and convenient access to the existing bus network and comply with the TfWM access standards. In areas where this is not achieved, new development may be required to include the provision of appropriate bus infrastructure to enable services to be fully integrated into the development site. The level of need and expected provision will be determined through Transport Assessments and Travel Plans. 2. The development of a rapid transit network will be supported to improve accessibility to existing and new major trip attractors. Major development proposals which are expected to create significant numbers of additional trips on the network, and are located in close proximity to a proposed rapid transit route should seek to make provision for those routes, including new infrastructure to facilitate the integration of the rapid transit network into the development site. The level of need and expected provision will be determined through Transport Assessments and Travel Plans. 3. Further details will be set out in the Coventry Connected SPD, the West Midlands Strategic Transport Plan and Coventry's Bus Network Development Plan.

Rail

1. Proposals which improve the quality of local rail services and access to stations and rail interchange facilities will be supported. These include: a. Improved access to rail stations, including HS2, by all modes of travel; b. Improved interchange facilities between rail and other modes; and c. Enhancements on the rail network which increase the frequency and quality of rail services which serve Coventry. 2. Measures which support the delivery of objectives in the Coventry Rail Investment Strategy for improved rail connectivity will be supported. This includes measures which facilitate improved rail services and supporting rail infrastructure on the Coventry north-south corridor between Leamington, Kenilworth, Coventry, Bedworth, Nuneaton and Leicestershire. 3. Proposals for additional local railway stations on the east-west and north/south rail corridor within Coventry will be supported where they are proven to be viable, support growth objectives and are consistent with the relevant national, regional or local rail strategies. 4. Further details are set out in the Coventry Connected SPD, Coventry Rail Investment Strategy and the West Midlands Strategic Transport Plan

Freight

1. New developments on sites which generate or are likely to generate significant HGV movements must accommodate appropriate on-site lorry parking and turning facilities to minimise disruption and safety issues on the public highway. 2. New development which supports the use of rail and air freight facilities will be supported where there is an evidenced demand, proposals are consistent with the relevant air and rail industry plans, have an acceptable environmental impact and do not significantly compromise the capacity and safety of the local highway network.