FOI request (FOIR-105610339)

I am Msc Student at Derby University studying Environmental Health and my final year project is looking at the significance of air and noise pollution on the occupiers of new residential properties. I am particularly interested in the role the NPPF has played in sustainable development with regard to the social objective of delivering healthy communities. The results of this survey will not be used to identify individual responses.

Please can you answer the following questions:

1.            Do you take into account the noise maps published by DEFRA when allocating land in your local plan for residential development (Noise maps developed to meet the requirements of Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC and the Environmental Noise Regulations 2006).?

Yes/No/Don’t Know

2.            Do you take into account air quality data published by DEFRA when allocating land in your local plan for residential development.?

Yes/No/Don’t Know

3.            Do you have supplementary planning guides for noise, air quality or green space allocation, please state each one.

Yes/No/Don’t Know

If Yes   Air Quality: Y/N    Noise:Y/N  Green Space Y/N

4.            In your local plan, what percentage do you set for affordable homes on a development site and when would this quota be used ( eg 35 % of the total homes built to be affordable where the development is greater than 30 homes).

5.            Does your local plan give advice or specify where affordable homes should be located on a development site ( eg affordable homes should be distributed throughout the site )? If so, please provide this advice or specification.

Yes/No/Don’t Know

If Yes what is the advice or Specification:

6.            Have you refused any residential development on air quality grounds or noise grounds in last 12 months, if so how many on noise, how many for air quality?

Yes/No/Don’t Know

If Yes  How Many for Noise:     How many for Air Quality:

7.       Do you allow the offset of affordable homes from one development site to another development site?

Yes/No/Don’t Know

If Yes How Many have been offset in last 12 months:

8.       How do you determine the area allocated to green space on a residential development site.

9 .       On  planning applications in the last year, If there was a noise source that could affect the amenity of a residential property, did you set noise limits on the façade of the residential development ?

Yes/No/Don’t Know

If yes, has the noise limit  been assessed following completion of the residential property to see that the limit has not been breached?

10.       On sites that require Radon protection, do you require the developer to provide Radon Monitoring results  once homes are built, or do you advise the occupiers to have a test done once they occupy the site?

Yes/No/Don’t Know

11.          How many planning applications in the last 12 months have been referred to the valuation office because the developer has specified the site is not viable to build any affordable homes or a reduced number of affordable homes from the quota requested in your local plan.

12.          Have you approved a residential development in the last 12 months where some or all of the homes require unopenable windows as a means of mitigation because of a nearby noise source.?

Yes/No/Don’t Know

13.          Have you adopted or do you have regard to the  new WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region 2018  when considering the impact of road, railway or aircraft noise on new developments.

14.        In the last 12 months, have you had an appeal for refusing residential development on noise or air quality grounds overturned by the secretary of state? If so how many.

Yes/No/Don’t Know.

Q1 - Yes

Q2 - Don't know

Q3 - Yes - Air Quality and emissions mitigation guidance for Sussex authorities

Q4 - Our Planning Strategy can be viewed from this webpage: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/planning/policy/adoptedlocalplan/strategy/ see Policy H3

Q5 - yes - see Policy H3 as above

Q6 - Can obtain information by searching public access http://publicaccess.hastings.gov.uk/online-applications/

Q7 - The Council take contributions in lieu of on site affordable housing if considered appropriate to help provide such dwellings elsewhere in the borough

Q8 - see relevant site allocation policies and development management policies here: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/planning/policy/adoptedlocalplan/dmp/

Q9 - Yes to both

Q10 - N/A

Q11 - Information available by searching public access (major applications only) http://publicaccess.hastings.gov.uk/online-applications/

Q12 - Unopenable windows would be secured by condition. Information available by searching public access http://publicaccess.hastings.gov.uk/online-applications/

Q13 - N/A

Q14 - No