4 Key Findings
4.1 This is the sixth annual monitoring report for Wigan Borough produced under the requirements of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The existence of comparable data over a six year period now means that a fuller picture of our progress in meeting objectives is emerging and that trends over time can more readily be observed.
4.2 We have made progress in establishing the data collection and monitoring systems required to meet the needs of routine monitoring. This process has gone hand in hand with the development and compilation of the extensive and robust evidence base which informs the LDF preparation process. The improvement of the monitoring system is, of course, an ongoing task which will proceed alongside LDF preparation but it is now in much better shape to give us the information to determine the impact of our policies than was the case originally.
4.3 The Core Indicators and Local Indicators reported on in this document show general progress in the implementation of UDP policies. It is, as yet, too early to report on trends in performance in delivering Core Strategy objectives. By next year it is expected that we will be well on the way to having an adopted Core Strategy. As the policies of the Core Strategy will replace many of the 'Saved' policies of the UDP, we will be able to move gradually to monitoring Core Strategy policies rather than UDP ones.
4.4 Where there are specific issues arising from performance against the indicators, this is referred to in the individual topic commentaries given in the body of the report. As with previous years report, the two key issues which merit comment in this section relate to the rate of development for both employment and housing uses.
4.5 2009/10 has seen a major decrease in the employment take up rate within the borough compared to 2008/09. In total, 11,615 sq m of employment land has been developed (compared to 38,504 sq m in 2008/09). The take up rate has returned to a similar level experienced in the year 2007/08. The completion of one large office development had a major impact on last year's take up.
4.6 As would be expected in current economic circumstances, the rate of housing development has fallen back to a new low of 487 dwellings, a halving yet again of last years rate of development. 91% of these new dwellings were built on brownfield land, a slight increase on the 88% rate achieved last year and still comfortably in excess of the 80% target required of us by the Regional Spatial Strategy.
4.7 As the government has announced its intention to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies, targets for the rate of housing development and the percentage of dwellings built on brownfield land as well as other aspects of strategic policy will in future be set out locally in the Local Development Framework.
4.8 The Local Development Scheme lays out the council's programme for bringing forward the plans and other documents that make up the Local Development Framework and Section 2 of this report details the implementation of the scheme. It is noted that work is now well advanced on the Core Strategy, a key component of the LDF. It is also noted that the Local Development Scheme has been revised twice during the year to update the programme for production of the various Development Plan Documents which make up the Local Development Framework.