Morecambe Area Action Plan
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Preparing the Morecambe Area Action Plan will vision and map the future of central Morecambe.
It will create a framework for the development, conservation and change needed to secure lasting regeneration gains for the town.
Latest news
The Outline Options Consultation closed in January 2012. Officers are currently working towards the preparation of a preferred options report/draft plan to be made available in late Spring/Summer 2012. The documents from the Outline Options Consultation are available to download on the right hand side of this page or below.
Background
Presentation and Discussion Event at the Platform, February 2011.
The Council's adopted Core Strategy (2008) identified central Morecambe as a Regeneration Priority Area. In October 2008, the Council's Cabinet authorised the production of an area action plan for central Morecambe.
What is an Area Action Plan?
An Area Action Plan (AAP) is a Development Plan Document (DPD) that will form part of the Lancaster District Local Development Framework (LDF). Together with the Core Strategy they will form the most important considerations in determining most planning applications in central Morecambe.
Capture Consultation, Jan-Feb 2010
The preparation of an area action plan will put in place a comprehensive and robust planning framework to provide for the development, conservation and change needed to secure lasting regeneration gains. It is both a policy and delivery tool and goes beyond traditional land use policy documents by considering issues of funding, timing and delivery.
The Morecambe Area Action Plan
Work on the Morecambe Area Action Plan has now formally commenced.
The Morecambe Area Action Plan (MAAP) will provide a framework to facilitate and manage development and change within central Morecambe over the next ten years or so to 2021 (the period of the Core Strategy). The MAAP will become the document through which the visions and objectives for the area will be developed, considered and co-ordinated for implementation. It will identify key infrastructure projects that will contribute to the regeneration of central Morecambe. It will direct investment, give increased certainty to potential investors, build confidence and assist the Council in securing funding and facilitating development. Economic circumstances inevitably will affect the pace of regeneration but bringing forward the MAAP should ensure that central Morecambe is well placed to capture and benefit from economic upturn.
MAAP Drop In Session, August 2010
The MAAP should:
• Detail the vision for central Morecambe set out in the Lancaster District Core Strategy:
'Central Morecambe is identified as a Regeneration Priority Area of sub-regional importance. Through tourism, housing renewal and heritage led regeneration, central Morecambe will be reinvented as a visitor destination drawing on its natural and built heritage, and as an office and service centre with restored historic townscape and a revived housing market.' Lancaster District Core Strategy (July 2008), Policy ER2.
• Provide a spatial framework that will help facilitate development and change to realise the regeneration vision.
MAAP Drop In Session, August 2010
• Be supported by the community
• Be deliverable
Preparing the MAAP
Stages
Preparing any DPD under the new planning system might be described as involving three main stages:
- Preparing the evidence base
- With stakeholders, identifying the scope, objectives and key issues and out of these options before agreeing a preferred option
- Publishing the plan for formal consultation, submitting the preferred option for examination and, subject to the outcome, formal adoption.
Outline Timetable
Oblique view of Morecambe.
Work to identify and bring forward options commenced 7th February 2011 ('Developing Options').
Kickstarting stage 3, it is anticipated that a draft plan will be available for consultation in early Autumn 2011. Further to the selection of a preferred option and subject to the outcome of examination, formal adoption is anticipated to occur in Summer 2012. See Outline Options Consultation section for update.
Consultation
Ensuring that the community and stakeholders are aware and supportive of the MAAP and know how to get involved is vital to the success of the plan.
To date this has included the following:
These consultations have been publicised or reported on in a number of ways, including this website, press releases, the 'Your District Council Matters' publication, email notification, facebook, twitter, posters and postcards. You can find some of these in the 'Related Pages' section in the top right hand corner.
Capture Consultation
The MAAP Capture Consultation was launched on Monday 11th January 2010 and ended on 19th February. It marked the first opportunity for everyone to get involved in the Plan.
This was a non-statutory exercise to identify what people think of central Morecambe as it is today. The information gathered has assisted the Council in completing its evidence base.
We asked people to:
- Tell us in three words what they think of central Morecambe as it is today.
- Answer three quick, simple questions:
1. What do you like about Morecambe?
2. What do you dislike about it?
3. What needs to be improved?
Submit a drawing or photograph that you think best captures Morecambe and tell us why.
- Answer our questionnaire. This incorporated the three questions above and twelve others based on the Placecheck methodology.
A copy of the questionaire is available to view from the top right-hand side of this webpage.
The Capture Consultation has now closed. A report detailing the consultation methods and results together with a summary of the responses can be downloaded from the right hand side of this page. An executive summary of this document is also available.
Iterative Consultation
The Iterative Consultation corresponds with the formal 'Issues and Options' stage and will be divided into phases. This means that everybody who wants to get involved will have a number of opportunities to do so and they will also have the chance to see how their input is helping to shape the plan and make a difference.
Phase One - Scoping the MAAP
The first part of the Iterative Consultation launched on Monday 22nd March and ended on 26th April 2010.
Officers invited comments on a draft Scoping Report that set out what the Morecambe Area Action Plan might cover. This included in particular for the geographical scope of the Plan, its purpose and objectives and matters that would and would not be covered by it.
Responses were also sought for a companion document that scoped how we will try to ensure that the Plan is as sustainable as possible and complies with regulatory requirements for the protection of the environment.
Officers have reviewed the responses and, where appropriate, have amended the documents. A Post Consultation Version was then produced which was then approved by the Council in July 2010. These approved versions are available to download from the top right hand corner of this page, alongside the initial drafts.
Phase Two - Debating the Issues.
Launched Monday 28th June 2010.
- Topic Paper 1 'Vision to Approach'.
The responses to our Capture Consultation and the first phase of the Iterative Consultation have highlighted a number of key issues which we need to look at further to help steer us as to what approaches we should take in preparing the plan.
To help we prepared a short topic paper 'Vision to Approach'. In this paper we asked questions about certain issues that have been raised during our consultations to date with specific reference to tourism and retail and also some overarching questions about how the town should look, feel and work.
The Topic Paper was available to view and comment on via our consultation portal at http://lancaster-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal. A pdf version of the Topic Paper can be downloaded from the web portal and the top right hand side of this page. Please note this is now for information only. The closing date for responses was 30th August 2010.
A number of opportunities were organised in July and August for informal chats about the future of Morecambe and what we're doing through the area action plan:
Thursday 15th July, 9am - 1pm, Morecambe Library
Thursday 22nd July, 2pm - 7pm, Morecambe Library
Tuesday 3rd August, 10am - 2pm, Platform entrance.
Tuesday 10th August, 2pm - 6pm, Morecambe Library.
- Community and stakeholder workshops.
A number of community and stakeholder workshops were also held in August, focusing on some of the key issues raised to date regarding Morecambe's tourism and retail offer.
Thursday 12th August, 10am - 12pm, Platform
Monday 16th August, 2pm - 4pm, Platform
Tuesday 24th August, 6pm - 7.30pm, Morecambe Town Hall
Phases one and two are now complete although we are continuing to gather information and meet with stakeholders.
A report detailing the consultation methods, responses and our analysis of these is available to download from the right hand side of this page. An executive summary is also available.
Phase Three - Developing Options
Monday 7 February 2011 - Friday 1 April.
With your help we have spent a lot of time over the last year trying to identify the issues of concern in central Morecambe and what the plan needs to address.
Our emerging conclusions are that the town has huge potential but to realise this the plan must make the centre of town work better and define a stronger heart for it that draws people in and encourages more activity. A topic paper explaining these issues and more was available for consultation. It asked whether people agreed and what they thought should go into the plan.
Topic Paper 2: Developing Options can be downloaded from the right hand side of this page. Please note this is now for information only.
We also held two Presentation and Discussion Sessions to discuss some of the key issues :
Monday 28 February 2011, the Platform, 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Thursday 3 March 2011, the Platform, 10.00am – 12.00pm
We've added some photo's from these sessions to our facebook page. Go to www.facebook.com and search for Morecambe Area Action Plan.
The consultation received a significant amount of press coverage including a two-page feature in the Morecambe Visitor, an interview on BBC Radio Lancashire and an interview and feature on BBC Northwest Tonight and regional news bulletins.
More information about the consultation process will soon be available through an updated consultation report.
April 2011: Thank you to everyone who got involved with the 'Developing Options' stage. The deadline for responses has now passed.
October 2011: An Outline Options paper will be available for consultation shortly.
Friday 18 November 2011 - noon Friday 6 January 2012.
We now present outline options for the content of the plan and invite comments and alternative proposals as appropriate.
What we present now in 'outline options' is very much a work in progress. These are initial thoughts on what the plan might contain. We think it best we share the emerging thinking now - even though much is not yet fully formed - in order that people and organisations are updated on progress and can best inform the work to come.
The council makes the following documents available as part of this consultation:
Outline Options Paper – a newspaper style document which provides an image rich overview of key themes and also specific areas / sites. Please note that due to all of the images this is a large file and may take some time to download,
Outline Options Narrative Report - this narrative provides a text based analytical summary of how we’ve got to this stage in the plan preparation, sets out our thoughts so far and outlines how we might move forward.
Supporting these two documents are:
Sites and Subjects Directory - a 'go-to' document to access information on particular issues and commentary on key areas, sites and themes. This will be revised as necessary as the plan progresses.
Developing Options Consultation Report - a report on the last round of consultation during Spring 2011.
Initial Sustainability Appraisal Report - initial testing undertaken informs the outline strategy options now put forward. This will be refined and detailed further at subsequent stages in the plan making process.
The different documents should enable people to access information at different levels.
Accessing the consultation information and responding.
All of the above documents can be downloaded above and from the top right hand side of this page. Copies can also be viewed at Lancaster and Morecambe Town Halls Monday - Friday between 9am and 5pm. If you require hard copies of the documents, please contact us via the details given below.
We now welcome your comments, suggestions and invite any alternative options to inform the plan further. Please respond by 12 noon 6 January 2012. If you have a proposal to make and want to meet to discuss it - either before or after you respond - please let us know.
Responses can be submitted:
By email: morecambeaap@lancaster.gov.uk
In writing: Morecambe Area Action Plan, Regeneration and Policy Service, Lancaster City Council, PO BOX 4, Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1QR
Next steps
Work on some topics is more advanced than others. More work is being undertaken on business and visitor aspects in particular. After this consultation we will distil our thoughts further, bring things together and identify and detail up all proposals including all reasonable options. As part of this all emerging proposals / options are to be tested for how sustainable and deliverable these might be.
At the preferred options stage we will set out in as much detail as possible the options available. This will likely be in late Spring 2012. At this point the council will propose a draft plan - its preferred option. Alongside this it will present and consult on any other options identified but which, by definition, the council at this time does not think it prefers. Comments will be invited together with any alternative options we may have missed.
The council will then consider further and then decide on the plan to submit for independent examination. At submission there is a final consultation opportunity for people to make representations. We expect to submit a plan for examination in the autumn of 2012.
Contact Us
There will be many further opportunities to get involved with the the MAAP so please continue to visit this page. In addition, you may wish to receive notifications of our consultations and progress by adding your details to our consultation database or to follow us on facebook or twitter. Please contact us with your details via one of the methods below. We would love to hear from you:
Email: morecambeaap@lancaster.gov.uk
Write: Morecambe Area Action Plan, Regeneration and Policy Service, Lancaster City Council, PO Box 4, Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster LA1 1QR. Please note that the Regeneration and Policy Service is based at Morecambe Town Hall but mail is sorted in Lancaster.
Phone: 01524 582375 or 582362
Facebook: www.facebook.com – search for the ‘Morecambe Area Action Plan’ page.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LancasterCC