Wednesday 29 th March 2006 Presentation to key local stakeholders by - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Wednesday 29 th March 2006 Presentation to key local stakeholders by David Lock Associates

CONTENT OF THE PRESENTATION • Introduction to the Local Strategy • Key issues in the Felixstowe Peninsula • Scenarios for the future of the Felixstowe Peninsula • Questions from the floor & general discussion

THE BRIEF • To produce an independent study of the Felixstowe Peninsula • ‘To formulate a long term strategy to guide the regeneration & enhancement of the urban fabric of Felixstowe & adjoining villages’ • Consultant team commissioned by - East of England Development Agency (EEDA) - English Partnerships (EP) - Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) - Felixstowe Town Council (FTC)

LOCAL STRATEGY FOR FELIXSTOWE PENINSULA • Represents the culmination of a year long study. • Sets out 4 overarching & wide reaching scenarios for the future of the Felixstowe Peninsula. • The scenarios reflect different levels of possible growth in the coming years. • The implications, costs and benefits of each scenario is explored.

KEY ISSUES AND TRENDS ON THE FELIXSTOWE PENINSULA • Background documentation prepared by the consultant team have aided identification of the key issues. • Scenarios have been developed to address the issues & trends the Peninsula faces now & in the future…

KEY ISSUES & TRENDS • Research reveals some worrying trends which need to be addressed. • Without intervention these trends may threaten many aspects of life that the existing population, and future generations, take for granted. • A number of the issues revealed negative trends including; – low supply of housing which is not meeting demand from within the community or from outside, – limited economic diversity , – local facilities under threat & – a declining leisure industry .

Overview of KEY ISSUES • The population • Housing • Local economy • Education • Transport • Leisure

THE PROFILE OF THE LOCAL POPULATION • A population imbalance • More people of retirement age & fewer people of working age than the norm • An ageing population • 45-64yrs = + 7.4% (1991-2001) • Loss of young generations • 18-29yrs = - 5.7% (1991-2001) • 51% of people moving away from Felixstowe were 16-34yrs (2001) • Smaller households • Increasing quantity of small households – an increase not matched by the supply of homes (quantity & type)

HOUSING • Housing development has not kept pace with local employment growth (especially the Port) or the local rate of household formation …..this leads to….. • Unsustainable commuting & traffic congestion… • Due to local workers being forced to live outside of the area… …..and a shortage of….. • Affordable Housing • Shortage of affordable housing for local first time buyers & lower wage households.

LOCAL ECONOMY • Dependence on the Port for employment • Non Port-related businesses find it difficult to find premises in Felixstowe and have located elsewhere. • Traffic & commuting generated by local economy: 48% of Felixstowe’s working persons commuted in from elsewhere.

EDUCATION • School rolls are falling because there are fewer children. • The average household is getting both older and smaller. • From age 16, young people take educational opportunities elsewhere, especially in Ipswich. • This could make schools unviable and unsustainable . • Schools are an indicator of the health of the town itself…

TRANSPORT • Fragile dependency on the A14 • Freight AND local traffic • Longer distance commuting • Due in part to lack of local houses • Congestion due to the commuting & A14 dependency • Missed opportunity of European links? • Loss of passenger connection • Poor links to Harwich passenger service • Opportunity to exploit leisure / marketing links with continental Europe such as the ‘Dutch invasion’ of 2005

LEISURE & TOURISM • Tourism offer has room for improvement, but tourism will not regain the strength to lead the regeneration of the town. • Poor national tourism trends, especially coastal towns – visitor numbers falling in the face of exotic & increasingly affordable foreign trips. • 1% increase in UK tourism driven by urban attractions & countered by a slight decline in numbers at coastal locations. ‘Visitor Attraction Trends’ (2005) English Tourist Board ‘Visit Britain’ • Potential marketing strategy; ‘Seafront, town & country’

INTRODUCTION TO SCENARIOS The Local Strategy presents a choice of scenarios to guide the future of Felixstowe Peninsula . The scenarios offer a range of approaches to address the most pressing local issues. Scenarios range from limited short term intervention to long term sustainable planned growth; 1. ‘Do Minimum’ – limited intervention & control of negative trends 2. ‘Moderate Growth’ – increased intervention 3. ‘Going for Growth’ – planned approach 4. Sustainable long term growth – address trends including the Port growth

SCENARIO CREATION The scenarios have been developed by - drawing on local knowledge from stakeholder & public consultation; - a review of existing data & studies; - undertaking new studies of key issues; - applying the expertise of the consultants.

SCENARIOS & the Port reconfiguration The Local Strategy was conceived before confirmation of the approval for the Port reconfiguration, but allowance has been made for this outcome. ~ Approval of the Port reconfiguration will reinforce its substantial role in the town ~ … with significant impacts for the social & economic life of the town.

SCENARIOS & the Port reconfiguration Scenarios 1-3 : - Developed to address the issues that the Peninsula currently faces (independent of the Port expansion). - The levels of intervention proposed in S1-3 are justified by the current situation . Scenario 4 : – Approval of the proposals to reconfigure the Port has increased the need for planned change - Scenario 4 explores this: – S4 is based on Scenario 3 but incorporates key socio-economic impacts associated with the Port & proposes more development.

There is no scenario in which the Felixstowe Peninsula can stand still. • If a moratorium on new development continues… 1. The population will fall… 2. … because of accelerating reduction in household size… 3. … with negative consequences for services and facilities. • But … the community can use the scenarios to counter the negative trends identified.

Common factors between the scenarios • The first three scenarios are detached from the future of the Port . • No longer prudent to plan for the future of the seafront resort to be as extensive as it has been in the past – quality before quantity . • Tourism initiatives are not dependent on growth scenarios, but may be conditioned by the perceived success & absorption of change in the town. • Justification for enhanced retailing in town, including a new or expanded supermarket & qualitative improvements to the local shopping experience.

SCENARIO 1: Do Minimum • Components of scenario 1; • Projection of existing trends for development of jobs & housing • Minimal improvements to road & rail infrastructure (only change - in relation to Port). • Likely closure of one High School • No additional funds for infrastructure and amenity investment; • Tourism initiatives go for quality and for speciality short breaks

SCENARIO 1: Do Minimum • IMPLICATIONS: • Popularity as a retirement destination = » increased house prices as demand outstrips supply » exacerbating the shortage of affordable housing » may compromise the provision of key services . • Non-port development very slow, not helping economic diversification • Secondary education consolidation in one school . Primary school closures? • Ipswich soaks up growth in the sub-region – at the expense of other smaller towns. • Limited potential to reinforce town centre’s role & reduce leakage of expenditure • Existing levels of deprivation remain and could become worse.

SCENARIO 1: Do Minimum • Location for development: – Housing development accounted for by; » allocated development sites » urban capacity sites, inc. South Seafront. – 311 (approx) new residential units – Development of 15.6 ha(net) employment land at Blofield & Haven Exchange as allocated.

Location for development in Scenario 1: ‘Do Minimum’ - Urban Capacity Sites - South Seafront

SCENARIO 2: Moderate Growth • COMPONENTS • Development advised in scenario 1 + additional town centre sites = • No major new employment initiatives & no new allocations of employment land; Development of employment land at the Blofield / Clickett Hill site and the Haven Exchange site. • 700-900 homes (1600-2200 people) over the period 2001-2021, inc. approx 30% affordable. • Improved town centre offer through consolidation of retail uses in the core town centre area, (inc. potential reconfiguration of the existing Solar Store) • A modest food store to anchor the local centre in the regeneration of South Felixstowe • A new, secondary school on the site of Deben High School & closure of Orwell High.