5.2

Policy 5.2

Policy 5.2 The refurbishment and amalgamation of properties within the town will be encouraged

work for what can be delivered over the lifetime of the Plan.

The Housing Policies and supporting text in the Strategic Plan are clear about the approach needed in housing provision. Paragraph 5.27 states that:

"Each new Area Plan prepared will continue to undertake urban capacity assessments as part of a sequential approach to the provision of new housing. This approach will seek to develop within existing settlements, or on previously developed land or by the re development, regeneration and conversion of existing housing. Only then will greenfield sites be brought forward, as extensions to existing settlements."

Area Plan Objectives

1. To reflect the housing need figures set out in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan, 2016.
2. To understand the urban capacity of existing settlements before promoting any greenfield land.
3. To set out clear proposals for residential development in the East, including specific 'General Allocation' Sites30 and 'Strategic Reserve' Sites31 and include, where appropriate, suitable development briefs.
4. To focus on implementing Strategic Policies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12 and Housing Policies 1-18 where it is appropriate to address these first in the Area Plan rather than simply the planning application process.
5. To allocate residential sites as both general allocations and strategic reserves to ensure sufficient housing opportunities during the plan period and for the lifetime of the Plan.
6. To allow housing in the countryside only in exceptional circumstances.
7. To provide for affordable housing through general support for Housing Policy 5 set out in the Strategic Plan.

Desired Area Plan Outcomes

1. A pattern of new development which focuses on Douglas and Onchan.
2. Active regeneration of urban sites and previously developed land.
3. Sustainable urban extensions at the edge of the settlements of Douglas and Onchan with some areas formally held back from immediate development.
4. Phased site release through the use of Masterplans for the larger sites.
5. Protection of land to ensure grey, green and social infrastructure needs can be accommodated.
6. Retention of the character of the smaller settlements in the East.

Housing Need in the East

One of the roles of the Area Plan is to provide and manage the supply of new housing through the allocation of suitable sites for residential development. Early evidence gathering and the continual refreshment of this evidence up to Inquiry established:

1. The number of new housing units needed during the plan period and lifetime of the Plan.
2. The existing housing supply i.e. what has been built in the plan period? What has planning approval? What can be expected via conversions and windfalls?
3. A long list of potential new housing sites allowing for methodical site assessment32 including an understanding of site constraints and overall developability (see Para 12.7).
4. The implications of the spatial strategy in the East and what this means in terms of housing numbers and spread of sites.
5. The opportunities in the countryside in terms of the potential to add to any groups of houses and sustainability issues of such.
6. The need to make specific provisions such as affordable housing and older persons' housing.

30 General Allocation - for release at the time of plan approval

31 Strategic Reserve - for future release via formal release process

32 Each site was assessed using the 'Site Assessment Framework' which produced a standardised report, map and aerial photograph.

Given the fact that the development of new housing can make one of the greatest, if not the greatest, impact on an area in terms of physical change, it is vital that any proposed housing sites and policy statements made in support of them are underpinned by sound evidence. The preferred sites for housing - the Residential Proposal Sites (also known as General Allocations to differentiate them from Strategic Reserves) - identified in this Chapter have been chosen after comprehensive site assessment through a published site identification and assessment process, after public consultation and after thorough examination at Public Inquiry. The process took into account development opportunities and constraints, the outcome of the development growth scenario work and the Report of the Public Inquiry.

Housing Need in the East 2011 to 2026

This Plan provides opportunities for 2,440 dwellings to be built between 2011 and 2026. Evidence was produced and analysed throughout the development of the plan and this is summarised below, starting with the Land Supply Report. The final shaping of the plan and thus the final proposals on housing need and specific site release came after the Inquiry Report and Modifications Stage.

The Scenario Testing Report33 (which included land supply data) sought to calculate:

• the number of dwellings (including conversions) which have already been built since the start of the pl