3 A Spatial Vision & Objectives for North Lincolnshire

North Lincolnshire – The Best Place for our residents and businesses

We are pleased to introduce the North Lincolnshire vision for our Local Plan to deliver increased prosperity for the area.

In 2036, North Lincolnshire is home to a growing population who live in safe, resilient and sustainable communities that are well connected to quality jobs and an accessible well-being offer. It will be the best place for our residents and businesses. Sustainable growth will be at the heart of all policies in the Local Plan.

It will have a competitive, diverse and high value economy with increased levels of prosperity and higher employment levels. We will have created 11,500 new and highly skilled jobs in sustainable, innovative and key sectors. Focus will be on sustainable economic growth and diversifying the area’s key economic sectors as well as being welcoming to and supportive of new enterprises.

Our economy will be strong and diverse, part of an energy corridor stretching east to west, (encompassing energy production and consumption, steel and process engineering, chemicals and associated logistics) and a food belt corridor from north to south (encompasses growing, logistics, processing and research and development).

North Lincolnshire will be a location of choice for business, making the most of the being part of the Humber Enterprise Zone, the largest in England, as well as capitalising on its strategic location adjacent to the Humber, excellent transport networks and international connections provided by the South Humber Gateway ports and Humberside Airport as well as Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The A15 corridor is of strategic importance for both housing and employment growth.

The visitor economy will be an increasingly important part of our economy. We will be a location of choice for tourists and visitors alike, with four million day visitors and 800,000 overnight stays per year, taking advantage of the high quality natural and built environment, cultural heritage and history.

To support our growing economy, the area will be a location for sustainable housing growth with, 8,380 new homes being delivered. The area will have an accessible, well-designed range and choice of housing in sustainable locations that delivers the housing requirements and meets the needs as well as the aspirations of local people. This will include the provision of affordable housing. New housing will be accompanied by a range of services, community facilities and infrastructure which complement the area’s thriving economy and meet the needs of all residents.

Growth will take place in the most appropriate locations supporting and creating a network of attractive, thriving and vibrant sustainable communities. Scunthorpe’s role as regional centre for housing, employment, leisure, services and connectively will be supported and strengthened, whilst we will ensure the sustainability of our Principal Towns, Large Service Centre and rural communities through appropriate levels of planned growth. Growth and development will be supported by investment in North Lincolnshire’s infrastructure. We will have an excellent digital and physical infrastructure alongside a sustainable transport network that connects business, people and places.

All developments in North Lincolnshire will be planned and designed to the highest possible quality in a way that respects their surroundings. They will be expected to contribute positively to local distinctiveness and the quality of life for those living and working in the area as well as towards the creation of safer places.

Alongside improving the quality of place, people's quality of lives and their health and wellbeing will be improved. Local people will have good access to quality open spaces, play and sporting facilities, better access to the countryside, increased opportunities for cycling and walking, and good quality health facilities. Economic, social and environmental inequalities will be reduced. Aspirations will be raised and skill levels enhanced by providing access to training and educational opportunities. We will increase our NVQ Level 4 attainment and have full employment or have the highest levels of employment.

Development will ensure that impacts and effects of climate change will be mitigated against, reduced and adapted to by addressing flood risk, reducing the levels of waste produced, increasing the re-use and recycling of materials, and building to high standards of sustainable design and construction. This will allow the area to become a cleaner and greener place. Appropriate provision for the use of renewable and low carbon energy will be made, where appropriate, subject to impacts on the area’s landscapes, communities and wildlife.

North Lincolnshire will continue to play its part in producing the steady and adequate supply of minerals to meet national and local needs whilst seeking to ensure their efficient and sustainable use. The area’s waste will be viewed as a resource with a focus on sustainable waste management including moving waste up the Waste Hierarchy.

North Lincolnshire’s high quality natural, built and historic environment will be protected and enhanced, making a significant contribution to the area’s economy, its sense of place and its identity as well as the quality of life experienced. Development will respect the internationally, nationally and locally recognised areas of nature conservation importance, particularly ones based around the Humber Estuary and our landscape character, whilst the countryside will be protected from inappropriate development.

Our new Local Plan provides an opportunity to develop a spatial strategy that will support our significant ambition for North Lincolnshire, whilst safeguarding the natural, built and historic environments for future generations. Our Plan is based on our organisations core values self-responsibility, integrity, excellence and equality of opportunity and will support the delivery of our priorities, Growing the Economy, Keeping People Safe and Well and Enabling Communities to Flourish.

Spatial Objective 1: Growing Our Economy

To promote economic growth in North Lincolnshire that increases the area’s prosperity through supporting business growth and investment, enterprise and job creation. The area will make the most of its strategic location adjacent to the Humber Estuary, infrastructure and international connections to be a key location for businesses, whilst sufficient employment land will be delivered in sustainable locations that meet the needs of existing and future businesses. Employment levels will be increased, creating more and better job prospects. The vitality and viability of Scunthorpe, our Market Towns, district and local centres as places for shopping, leisure, cultural and community activities will be encouraged.

Spatial Objective 2: Enabling Sustainable Communities to Flourish

To enable the creation and maintenance of sustainable communities in North Lincolnshire by situating new development in locations that offer the best and most appropriate opportunities for sustainable development. This will ensure that new homes and jobs are supported by a high quality environment, services and infrastructure and in turn new development supports the vitality, viability and economic performance of our towns and villages. Local communities will be encouraged to develop community-led Neighbourhood Plans, where appropriate.

Spatial Objective 3: Meeting Our Housing Need (Best Place to Live)

To increase the supply of quality housing to meet our future needs and support the growth of our economy. This will take place by delivering a wide choice of high quality, well designed housing schemes in North Lincolnshire that are accessible to, and meets the needs and aspirations of, the area’s existing and future residents on a range of sites. This will include meeting the needs of the various groups that have differing housing requirements (including affordable [in its widest sense], families with children, older persons, specialist housing, and those who wish to build their own home (custom build or self-build)).

Spatial Objective 4: Delivering Infrastructure for Growth (A Connected North Lincolnshire)

To identify and deliver the wide range of physical, social, digital and environmental infrastructure needed to support our ambitions for growth and development in a connected North Lincolnshire. This will include delivering a connected, accessible, well-maintained, efficient, safe and sustainable transport network including better and safer roads, better public transport and walking and cycling routes that supports economic growth and allows local residents to have high quality access to key services and facilities without increasing the need to travel. This is essential in creating places that are cleaner, greener and safer.

We will also seek to deliver the necessary community infrastructure/facilities and green infrastructure to support the creation of sustainable communities and cleaner and greener spaces. This will be done by working closely with a wide range of partner organisations and infrastructure providers.

Spatial Objective 5: Supporting Our Rural Areas and Countryside

To support strong and flourishing rural communities and countryside by encouraging diversification of the rural economy and retaining and enhancing key local facilities, infrastructure and services whilst promoting appropriate sustainable development in rural settlements which meets local needs and reflects the surrounding environment.

Spatial Objective 6: Protecting and Enhancing Our Natural, Built and Historic Environment

To ensure that North Lincolnshire’s high quality natural, built and historic environments are safeguarded, conserved and enhanced to maintain their contribution to the area’s local distinctiveness and quality of life.

Internationally, nationally and locally designated areas of habitat and nature conservation importance (particularly those in the Humber Estuary and at Crowle Moors) will be protected, whilst the area’s diverse landscapes such as the Lincolnshire Wolds, open spaces and green infrastructure network will be recognised for their importance and enhanced.

Designated and non-designated heritage assets, including their settings, along with the area’s townscapes will be protected and enhanced to maintain the local streetscene and its distinctiveness.

Spatial Objective 7: Promoting High Quality Design

To ensure that all new development in North Lincolnshire exhibits a high standard of design and architectural quality and innovation that reflects the character of the areas’ landscapes and townscapes and contributes to local distinctiveness. Development should be accessible to all sections of the community, contribute to an enhanced feeling of safety and security, and make the most of opportunities for efficient use of resources, contributing to cleaner, greener and safer places.

Spatial Objective 8: Raising Aspirations

To encourage greater economic prosperity, better paid jobs, improve skills and reduce inequalities by supporting opportunities for the provision of excellent education, training and research facilities that help to raise the aspirations and attainment of North Lincolnshire’s young people, support adults to re-engage with work and lifelong learning, and develop and upskill the area’s workforce to equip them to meet the needs of business and industry.

Spatial Objective 9: Improved Enabling Quality of Life

To support the health and well-being of North Lincolnshire’s communities by safeguarding, enhancing and providing a wide range of excellent educational, social, accessible childcare, sporting, health, recreational and cultural facilities that contribute to the quality of life and satisfaction of the residents of our area and that visit the area, as well as by seeking to reduce deprivation and social, economic and environmental inequalities.

Spatial Objective 10: Developing Our Visitor Economy

To develop North Lincolnshire’s visitor economy and make it a destination of choice for tourists and visitors alike by taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the area’s high quality natural and built environment including its diverse landscapes, countryside and townscapes, as well as its rich cultural heritage. Attractions such as Normanby Hall, Waters’ Edge Country Park, Crowle Moors, our Market Towns, and the Humber Estuary will play their part in developing North Lincolnshire as a tourist destination and create vibrant leisure and culture facilities for visitors and residents alike.

Spatial Objective 11: Planning for Climate Change

To address and reduce the causes and impacts of climate change in North Lincolnshire by supporting and contributing to achieving safer environments and communities through sustainable flood management as part of new development and locating development, where possible, away from areas at risk of flooding. To encourage the use of low and zero carbon technologies and decarbonisation by promoting sustainable land management and conservation including for protecting habitats and encouraging appropriate building design and supporting businesses to adapt and decarbonise.

Spatial Objective 12: Efficient Use of Our Resources

To encourage the effective and prudent use of North Lincolnshire’s resources including energy, water, soils, minerals and waste by the supporting the efficient use of land and buildings, including sustainable construction techniques within new developments, reducing the level of waste produced and promoting the use of renewable and low carbon energy, subject to its impact on the area’s landscapes and communities. Measures to minimise pollution and improve air, soil and water quality will also be employed as part of creating a cleaner, greener and safer area.

Spatial Objective 13: Ensuring Minerals Supply

To ensure a steady and adequate supply of minerals, including aggregates, industrial minerals and energy minerals to meet national, regional and local needs in the most appropriate way whilst taking account of impacts on the environment and local communities. Economically important mineral resources will be safeguarded from incompatible development.

Spatial Objective 14: Delivering Sustainable Waste Management

To support the use and effective management of North Lincolnshire’s waste as a resource by reducing the amount that needs to be treated and disposed. There will be greater encouragement to reduce levels being produced and increase re-use and recycling in order move waste up the ‘Waste Hierarchy’. A network of appropriately-located sustainable waste management facilities will be developed and existing facilities protected from incompatible development whilst recognising the need to avoid negative impacts on local communities.