Using an Settlement Spatial Plan to Shape Allocations in a Local Plan
- Neil Homer
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
The Challenge
The village of Mark’s Tey on the edge of Colchester in Essex is under pressure from large scale development. And it lies at the junction of two of the county’s most important roads – the A12 and A120 – which have become an increasing blight on the community.
Colchester City Council’s answer is to identify the area as a major growth location for 2500 homes and employment expansion over the next 15 years in last year’s draft Local Plan. Mark’s Tey Parish Council saw some of the sense in the proposals – staying the same was not a realistic option – but it was not convinced enough joined up thinking had gone into the answer.
How we used Settlement Spatial Planning
The Parish Council appointed ONH to produce a Settlement Spatial Plan (SSP) using its exploratory scenario planning method to generate different, plausible futures for the village. The work highlighted how vital it would be to understand the functional relationships between homes, travel, schools and jobs in this location.
The SSP formed the basis of the Parish Council’s representations on the draft Local Plan earlier this year. They were measured but forthright; the City Council had to do a better job of convincing everyone its proposals would transform Mark’s Tey for the better, not the worse.
What Happened Next
In response to this and similar representations it had received, the City Council then appointed ONH to use the knowledge we had gained from the SSP to help it produce a new policy for its submission Local Plan later this year.
Since April we have worked with its officer team and representatives of key bodies and land interests to define a clearer growth strategy and policy provision. Importantly, the strategy reflects the concerns of the local community that shaped the SSP in the first place. A new Mark’s Tey policy should form part of the submission plan shortly and will be examined in early 2027.
Want to hear more? Contact us or speak to us in person at our latest upcoming events:
NALC Annual Conference: Wednesday 24th June in London
OALC Talking Tables: Thursday 25th June in Oxfordshire
ONH Local Plans Online Seminar: Tuesday 14th July - FREE - Online
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