Chapter 5 - Themes of the Plan

Introduction

5.1 The Policies and Proposals set out in the Plan are seeking to respond to development pressures and opportunities within the Borough in a positive sustainable and beneficial way. They have been put forward to reflect the overall strategic planning framework for the region set out in Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13), for the Greater Manchester sub-region in the Greater Manchester Strategic Planning Framework, the Local Strategic Partnership’s objectives of economic, social and environmental well-being and the Council's own key priority policy areas for action.

5.2 The Council has an important role to play in assisting the sustainable regeneration of the economic and community life of the Borough in a sustainable way, both as a catalyst/co-ordinator of activity, as a sponsor or a co-sponsor of activity and as a regulator of development in the community interest. It is important for all concerned with the future of Trafford that the themes, or guiding principles, underlying this Plan are clearly and unambiguously stated as the basis upon which the Council will seek to promote and evaluate future regeneration activity.

5.3 The themes or guiding principles set out in this Plan seek to encapsulate the content of a wide range of statutory and non-statutory strategy statements of the Local Strategic Partnership and the Council.

5.4 The Community Strategy for Trafford is an all encompassing strategy grounded within sustainable principles. This Strategy aims to improve the quality of life for all the communities and the fabric of the environment in which they live, learn, work and relax. To do this the Strategy embraces all of the issues addressed in the large number of existing Council strategies delivered by Trafford.

5.5 The Strategy is centred on people, places and prosperity, addressing issues such as health, lifelong learning, crime and safety, sustainable neighbourhoods including environment and housing, transport, prosperity, skills and jobs, culture, sports and arts and community cohesion.

Part I Policy GP1 – The Themes of the Plan

In putting into effect the Policies and Proposals of this Plan the Council will have regard to the following themes or guiding principles: -

  • To make and keep Trafford an attractive place in which to live, work, visit and invest, in particular by protecting and improving the quality of its environment and by providing the best possible choice of jobs, services and amenities;
  • To promote sustainable forms of development in accessible and sustainable locations across the Borough in particular those that minimise the need to travel, especially by car, and which conserve energy and minimise waste;
  • To promote urban regeneration and the re-use of outworn previously developed urban land and vacant or under-used buildings in ways that promote social inclusion, community safety and the reduction of local health inequalities;
  • To protect and enhance the contribution that Trafford’s countryside and other open space makes to its landscape quality and to the needs of leisure, recreation, farming forestry and wildlife;
  • To help in revitalising the regions economy and in particular to enhance the competitiveness of existing Trafford based companies and attract to Trafford new firms that will sustain the prosperity of its residents into the 21 st century.

The Council will normally favour proposals that support these themes.