Southend-on-Sea City Local Plan

BLP Chapter 8 Community Services and Utilities (prefix U)

Policy U1 - Infrastructure Provision - Saved

In assessing development proposals the City Council will have regard to the need for additional infrastructure provision, such as roads, sewerage, schools and community facilities, and may, in appropriate circumstances, only grant conditional planning permission and/or require the applicant to enter into a legal agreement to ensure the provision of such facilities to enable the development to proceed satisfactorily in accordance with the proper planning of the area.

Policy U2 - Pollution Control - Saved

In order to prevent or reduce soil, water, noise and other forms of airborne pollution in the town, and to control the storage or use of hazardous materials, the City Council will, where appropriate, refuse or restrict planning permission for those developments considered to involve a potential pollution risk.

Policy U3 - Sewage Disposal - Not Saved

The City Council will urge the responsible authority or company to improve the sewerage infrastructure, including the provision of a full sewage treatment plant for the City to ensure clean sea-water and adequate capacity for proposed new development over the plan period.

Policy U4 - Southend Hospital - Saved

The City Council will support the improvement, expansion or consolidation of patient services within the Southend Hospital site provided that this secures improved traffic and parking arrangements to overcome existing deficiencies and meet additional requirements in accordance with Policy T11, an would not increase environmental pressure on the surrounding area.

Policy Cross Reference : T11 Parking Standards.

Policy U5 - Access and Safety in the Built Environment - Not Saved

In accordance with the guidelines set out in Appendix 7, the City Council will seek improvements to the design and layout of the built environment to provide safe and easy access for all members of the community (see also Policy H5).

Policy Cross References : H5 Residential Design and Layout Considerations and Appendix 7 Guidelines for Access and Safety in the Built Environment.

Policy U6 - Non-Residential Health Care Facilities - Saved

In assessing applications for the use of premises for non-residential health care facilities the City Council will have regard to the following criteria:

  1. to ensure that the character and amenities of residential streets are safeguarded, all proposals should meet the provisions of Policy E5;
  2. schemes which involve the loss of residential accommodation will only normally be permitted where it can clearly be demonstrated that it is essential for the practice to be located within the area it serves and there is no other suitable property available. Such proposal will also only normally be permitted where the property is detached and has a gross floor are, as originally constructed, in excess of:
    1. 160 square metres (1720 square feet) in the case of group practices, i.e surgeries with more than one practitioner in attendance at the surgery;
    2. 125 square metres (1345 square feet) in the case of small single practitioner surgeries.
    3. Any permissions granted for schemes which fall within (b) above will be subject to a condition limiting the surgery to not more than one practitioner being in attendance at any time;
  3. all proposals will be required to meet the Council's adopted design and layout criteria (Policies C11 and H5) and should achieve a satisfactory means of access and off-street parking facilities, together with adequate landscaping and screening of parking areas. In addition, schemes involving the conversion of all, or part of, a dwellinghouse, should retain the external appearance of the property as a house;
  4. applications for the extension or alteration of exiting premises will only normally be permitted where the above criteria can still be satisfactorily achieved. In particular, where additional consulting rooms are proposed and/or an application seeks to remove the condition imposed under criterion (ii)(b) above, a commensurate increase of off-street parking facilities in accordance with currently adopted standards will be required. Where this cannot be provided in an acceptable manner the application will be refused.

Policy Cross References : C11 New Buildings, Extensions and Alterations, H5 Residential Design and Layout Considerations, and E5 Non-Residential Uses Located Close to Housing.

Policy U7 - Existing Education Facilities - Saved

Subject to the maintenance of satisfactory environmental conditions and residential amenities, the City Council will normally support the improvement or extension of existing public and private education establishments and will encourage the use of their facilities for community purposes where this would meet identified requirements. The City Council may accept the need for relocatable classrooms for a temporary period but will seek more permanent structures in the longer term in the interests of visual amenity.

Policy U8 - Provision of New Education Facilities - Saved

Proposals for the provision of additional public and private education facilities will be assessed in accordance with the following criteria:

  1. permission will only normally be given where the site or property is of a size and nature that can satisfactorily accommodate the use - including playing fields, means of access, off-street parking and other associated facilities - without detrimentally affecting the character of the area;
  2. where proposals involve the use or development of premises within residential streets, the City Council will have regard to Policy E5 in order to ensure that the character and amenity of these streets are safeguarded. Permission will only normally be given where the use is small-scale in nature and where detached property is involved;
  3. schemes which would result in, either a or b will normally be refused
    1. the irreversible loss of agricultural land where this is of Grades 1, 2 and 3a quality, and/or
    2. the construction of substantial buildings in the Green Belt (see Policy G1)

All proposals will be required to meet the Council's adopted design and layout criteria (Policies C11 and H5) and the provisions of Policy H3 to retain an adequate stock of small family houses.

Policy Cross References : G1 Development Within the Green Belt, C11 New Buildings, Extensions and Alterations, H3 Retention of Small Family Houses, H5 Residential Design and Layout Considerations and E5 Non-Residential Uses Located Close to Housing.

Policy U9 - Child-Minding Facilities - Saved

Applications for the use of premises for playgroups, day nurseries and other child-minding facilities will be assessed in accordance with the following criteria:

  1. permission will only normally be given where the use is small-scale in nature, respects the character of the area, and meets the provisions of Policy E5. In particular where the premises are located in a residential street, any permission will normally be limited to a maximum of 25 children. Having regard to the property's location, nature and size, larger scale operations may exceptionally be permitted up to a maximum of 50 children per property, where this would not detrimentally affect residential amenities or the character of an area.
  2. within residential areas, in order to ensure the suitability of the property for such a use, permission will normally be limited to detached properties which have a minimum private rear garden amenity area of 100 square metres (1076 square feet) in a reasonably spacious layout;
  3. all proposals will be required to meet the provisions of the Council's adopted design and layout criteria (Policies C11 and H5) and the provisions of Policy H3 to retain an adequate stock of small family houses. In particular proposals should achieve a satisfactory means of access and off-street parking facilities together with adequate landscaping and screening of outdoor play and parking areas. In addition schemes involving the conversion of all, or part of, a property originally constructed as a single family dwellinghouse should retain the external appearance of the property as a house.

The City Council will also have regard to the adopted standards of the Essex County Council Social Services Department in assessing the merits of all schemes. Policy Cross References : C11 New Buildings, Extensions and Alterations, H3 Retention of Small Family Houses, H5 (Residential Design and Layout Considerations) and E5 (Non-Residential Uses Located Close to Housing.

Policy U10 - Provision of Other Community Facilities - Saved

Proposals for those local community uses not subject to Policies U6, U8 or U9 will normally be supported by the City Council subject to:

  1. the need to meet the provisions of Policy E5, in order to safeguard the character and amenity of local residential streets, where permission will normally be limited to uses which are small-scale in nature and involve detached property;
  2. adopted design and layout criteria being satisfactorily met in accordance with Policy C11 and H5. In particular, schemes should achieve a satisfactory means of access and off-street parking facilities, whilst proposals involving the conversion of all, or part of, a property originally constructed as a single family dwellinghouse should retain the external appearance of the property as a house;
  3. the need to meet the provisions of Policy H3 relating to the retention of small family houses.

Proposals involving the loss of existing community hall facilities will not normally be permitted unless alternative provision is made in a convenient and appropriate location, having regard to the above criteria, or there are over-riding environmental reasons for the development.

Policy Cross References : C11 New Buildings, Extensions and Alterations, H3 Retention of Small Family Houses, H5 Residential Design and Layout Considerations, E5 Non-Residential Uses Located Close to Housing, U6 Non-Residential Health Care Facilities, U8 Provision of New Education Facilities, and U9 Childminding Facilities.

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