A Blueprint for the future

Described as a "blue-print for the future", the plan covers topics from park-and-ride to pubs and allotments.

At some point over the next decade this inch-thick document will have an impact on everyone in Brighton and Hove.

The council says the aim of the plan is to create "a cosmopolitan, successful city by the sea where people have a high quality of life in a decent environment."

It is an aim which will not be disputed by anybody. The arguments only begin over how best to make it a reality.

Over the last two years the planning policy team at Brighton and Hove Council has carried out a series of public consultation exercises.

With yet more consultation to come, the team's work has already been rewarded with a national town planning award.

The new local plan will replace the two separate plans drawn up by the old Hove and Brighton borough councils which were adopted in 1995.

Nigel Green, Brighton and Hove planning policy manager, said: "What you see here hasn't just been made up by the council. It has been formed as a direct result of talking to a whole range of people. And we will be going back to those groups to see what they think.

"Nobody should be surprised by what is in this plan. They might not agree with it, but if they've been involved so far they will see we have tried to strike a balance."

Sheila Holden, assistant director of environmental and housing services, said the local plan was also an important opportunity to firm up existing policies in order to strengthen the council's hand when dealing with developers.

She said: "In the past some policies have not been sufficiently strong to be upheld through the appeals system because they have not been backed by the local plan.

"Developers can win on appeal because they can point out a certain measure is not in the local plan."

The main recurring themes in the plan are promoting "sustainability" and the limits imposed on development by the geography of Brighton and Hove.

The limited amount of land available for new buildings means it is crucial to make best use of the sites which exist and to strike the right balance between residential, commercial, and industrial development.

The first draft of the new local plan was adopted by the council's policy and resources committee on August 2.

Between September 25 and November 6, the public can examine the plan at libraries or town halls and register objections or support. More consultation will follow once these representations have been taken on board.

Any objections which remain after a second draft is drawn up are likely to form the basis of discussion at a public inquiry. The earliest the plan is likely to be adopted is 2002.

Transport The battle to tackle congestion will be of fundamental importance to Brighton and Hove over the next ten years.

The council says it is committed to limiting the growth of traffic to clear gridlocked roads and reduce pollution.

It is policy which will never please everyone, with business leaders accusing the council of being anti-car while the green lobby says more should be done to tackle our obsession with "car culture".

The local plan spells out why tackling transport problems is integral to the area's future.

It states: "The continuing success of Brighton and Hove as a business and conference venue, shopping centre and tourist destination that draws visitors from across the region will depend upon the ease of movement and the pleasant environment within the city."

The logic of this aim is not disputed by anybody. The problems begin when trying to find the best way to achieve this "ease of movement".

The local plan accepts some car journeys are essential for those with no other means of travel, or for certain business journeys, but goes on to state the car is often used merely because it is convenient.

The council wants to encourage people to cut the number of unnecessary car journeys they make while promoting walking, Cycling and public transport.

Such proposals are strongly opposed by many in town who accuse the council of trying to introduce measures which will affect business and deter visitors.

Sheila Holden, assistant director for environmental and housing services, said: "People want less traffic on the roads and more people using public transport. Other people insist their car is essential.

"This is about finding the balance between these different views within the community.

"We are not anti-car. We are not saying you can't use your car at all, but trying to encourage people to drive only when it is appropriate. The central thrust of our transport policy is to promote the alternatives available."

She added: "The fundamental thing is access. It's a shift of the mind-set from car to public transport."

One of the key themes running throughout the local plan is the importance of linking land use with transport strategy.

In future, developers will need to consider how proposed developments can contribute to the improvement of transport links and make provision for their own workforce and customers.

Ms Holden said: "Before now, a developer could have appealed against restrictions on parking provision because our policies were not significantly robust. By including them in the local plan, it strengthens our position.

"Now we will be able to shift developers away from spending money on parking to providing towards better public transport links instead."

Developers will be required to conduct a transport assessment or green transport plan for certain planning applications in order to address the increased demand for travel which would be created by their proposals.

They will also be expected to provide the parking needed or contribute to public transport improvements and cycle parking facilities.

Developers will also have to demonstrate that parking problems would not be transferred on to streets nearby.

Planning permission would be refused where the council believed a development would have an unacceptable impact on transport.

Park and ride The issue of park-and-ride is likely to be one of the most contentious subjects dealt with by the local plan.

Business leaders insist a park-and-ride scheme on the edge of Brighton and Hove is essential to tackle congestion in the town centre which deters visitors and leaves traders out of pocket.

Tony Mernagh, town centre manager, said: "Brighton is a destination town. More than five million people come here every year to shop, do business, or just enjoy themselves. If it continues to be difficult to come here we will lose visitors."

But environmentalists insist park-and-ride would have the opposite effect intended by undermining public transport and increasing car use.

Chris Todd, of Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth, said: "The local plan says park-and-ride must reduce traffic growth but that's not a solution at all.

"We need to reduce the amount of traffic coming into town at the moment, not in the future. We should be putting the money which will go on park-and-ride into improving existing public transport services."

Even if a park-and-ride scheme is considered a good idea for Brighton and Hove, the next difficultly will be finding a suitable site.

The local plan insists any proposal for park-and-ride must fulfil certain criteria before it is approved.

It would only get the go-ahead if it could be demonstrated that a park-and-ride scheme would improve accessibility to the town and its economic vitality.

Crucially, any development must "have no significant adverse effect on residential amenity or the local environment of the area in which parking occurs."

It goes on to state that in any proposal for land beyond the limit of the built-up area, the applicant must demonstrate why an alternative location could not be found inside it.

In short, the council is sitting on the fence.

Nigel Green, planning policy manager, said: "There are lots of people who do not want park-and-ride and lots of people who do.

"There's a lot more work to be done before we can say whether it should be introduced.

"What we are trying to do is to get this work done so there can be a full debate on the issue. At this stage it would be really wrong to both either go all out for it or reject it out of hand."

The council believes an attractive park-and-ride system would limit the growth of traffic, to the benefit of the economy.

It points to the Withdean Stadium scheme as a successful example. But detractors say Withdean is heavily-subsidised and takes business away from bus companies, with local people using the service rather than an ordinary bus.

The problem is compounded by the fact that the most obvious location for a park-and-ride is Waterhall, between the A27 and A23.

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Waterhall is also within the proposed South Downs National Park.

Council leaders insist there are no plans for park-and-ride there. John Ballance, Cabinet member for the environment, said: "We consulted on Waterhall and there was a concern about it.

"The whole aim of the local plan is to arrive at consensus across the community."

The crunch decision will have to be made if the Government approves a council bid for £3.75 million to finance a park-and ride-scheme.

Cycling, walking The local plan details efforts to reduce the dominance of the car and restore priority in some areas to pedestrians.

The proposals identify three pedestrian priority areas: George Street, Hove; the Ship Street/Old Town area; and Boundary Road. Additional areas may be added.

Limited pedestrianisation has already been introduced in George Street, a move which sparked opposition from a number of traders and residents.

Many were upset when the street was closed between 10am and 4pm, saying it was driving away trade. The decision to maintain the scheme was eventually decided by a public inquiry.

It remains to be seen whether other pedestrian priority schemes will meet the same opposition.

Tony Mernagh, town centre manager for Brighton, said: "I can see the upper section of Ship Street benefiting from pedestrianisation because at the moment it's quite a scruffy entrance to The Lanes with all the congestion and illegally parked cars.

"However, there could be problems, particularly as a lot of deliveries use that route. I would imagine the restaurants would be in favour of it, but some of the other shops may not be too happy.

"I can also see Gardener Street as having a good case for pedestrianisation but with all these things they can be fraught with problems."

It also proposes shopmobility schemes at Churchill Square, North Laine, The Lanes, Hove town centre, London Road, Lewes Road, Boundary Road/Station Road and Brighton Marina.

Developers will be required to contribute to such schemes where parking for people with mobility problems cannot be provided.

A network of key pedestrian routes has also been identified including the seafront walkway, links to the South Downs Way and Patcham/London Road.

In addition a network of cycle routes will be opened up along the South Coast Cycle Route (A259); the A23 London Road corridor to Brighton central area; Hangleton to Hove central area; Lewes Road corridor to Brighton central area; and St James's Street.

Buses and coaches The local plan states bus priority measures will be introduced along "sustainable transport corridors" including the A23 from the A27 bypass to Preston Circus; the A259 from Rottingdean to Shoreham Harbour; the A270 (Lewes Road); Church Road/Western Road; and Eastern Road/Edward Street.

The aim is to provide direct, unhindered movement for buses to maintain reliable timetables and encourage motorists to use buses instead.

The local plan also says there is a need for more coach parking during peak season and proposes using facilities at the universities and Brighton Racecourse in summer. In the meantime, Madeira Drive will still provide short-stay parking facilities.

Despite the good intentions of the local plan, critics argue such sentiments are not being put into practice.

Bus companies are facing increasing problems trying to maintain regular timetables due to the difficulty in recruiting drivers.

Conservative councillors also criticise the council for not doing enough to ensure certain routes are maintained.

Geoffrey Theobald, Conservative group leader, said: "They want to get more people to use public transport but bus services are being cut because the council won't increase its budget."

Trains The railway sidings and coal depots next to Hove station, together with the road and rail access to them, have been identified as a potential site for the transfer of waste on to the rail system.

The site will be protected from development until it has been determine whether it could provide a facility for rail freight or rail-to-road transfer.

The council intends to allocate this site in the draft of the waste local plan as the preferred site for the transfer of waste from road to rail.

Liberal Democrat group leader Paul Elgood is one of those who believes the local plan does not go far enough in its transport strategy, particularly in relation to encouraging public transport.

He said the plan could have been used as an ideal opportunity to debate the merits of a tram or light railway along the seafront.

He said: "The local plan should be a map of the possible. Rather than a blueprint for the future, it is just a collection of the same hobby horses. For example, we should be thinking of introducing a tram system."

But Councillor John Ballance, Cabinet member for the environment, insists the council does not have the funds to develop a tram system in the town.

He said the council's entire transport budget of £30 million would not cover the costs of a scheme such as that recently introduced in South Croydon, which cost £200 million.

Traffic calming Traffic calming measures are already being planned for Poets Corner, Vale Road, Clarendon Road/Villas, Bevendean, West Hill, North Laine, and Rottingdean.

Additional residential areas and roads will be identified during the plan period.

As part of the traffic calming process, Home Zones may be identified in residential areas where children have to cross busy roads to reach their nearest play area. In such zones, traffic speeds could be reduced to 10mph or less.