In 2000, the Borough Council commissioned a Healthcheck for Belper, which identified the strengths and weaknesses of the town and surrounding countryside and included an action plan to build upon these strengths and address the weaknesses. Although the Healthcheck was not formally adopted as Council policy, the majority of the actions in the action plan have been successfully implemented.
In 2003, the Borough Council commissioned Latham Architects to produce a Masterplan for the area of Belper between the A6 and the River Derwent. The Masterplan included a number of options showing how parts of this area of land could be developed. The Masterplan was an wholly independent study which was never formally considered by the Council and has not been adopted as Council policy.
The Adopted Amber Valley Borough Local Plan 2006 identifies a specific site within this area of Belper with potential for comprehensive redevelopment. Policy ER1c of the adopted Local Plan states:
Planning permission will be granted for mixed use development on land north and south of Derwent Street, Belper, as shown on the Proposals Map, including tourism, Shops (A1), Restaurants and Cafes (A3), Drinking Establishments (A4), Hot Food Take Aways (A5) and Assembly and Leisure (D2), following the approval of a comprehensive development brief for the site and providing that the proposals:-
a) incorporate improvements to the highway network to offset the impact of additional vehicle movements on Bridge Street (A6), including the provision of a new road link to the west of Bridge Street, subject to detailed investigation
b) incorporate improved pedestrian links between existing retail units within and on the edge of the town centre
c) are of a form, scale and design which reflects the location of the site within Belper and Milford Conservation Area and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site
d) satisfy any criteria in relation to specific policies for each land use
Housing may also be acceptable as an element of any redevelopment proposals, if it can be demonstrated that this would be essential to enable a comprehensive scheme to be implemented
The Borough Council is committed to the preparation of a comprehensive development brief for the area between the A6 and the River Derwent.
The purpose of this brief is to expand on the policies of the adopted Local Plan and provide further detail as to what forms of development will be acceptable for this area of Belper. The Borough Council will not determine any planning applications for this site until this brief has been adopted following extensive public consultation.
A Draft Development Brief was prepared as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which was subject to public consultation for a period of six weeks from 3 November to 15 December 2008. The comments that were received were carefully considered and on 15 June 2009 the Council's Planning Board approved amendments to the draft SPD that took account of the representations that were received.
These amendments were incorporated into a Revised Draft SPD and public consultation on the changes made to the Draft SPD were the subject of further public consultation from Monday 19 October to 30 November 2009.
On 14 December 2009 the Planning Board considered a report on the single issue as to if an upper limit on the size of any single retail development within the area covered by the draft SPD should be imposed. This was attended by Counsel, on the basis that the Council sought and obtained legal advice on this issue, prior to the publication of the revised draft SPD on 19 October 2009. The Planning Board resolved to confirm that the Borough Council is not in a position to set an upper limit on the size of any single retail development within the area covered by the draft SPD.
Following the receipt of representations on the revised draft SPD, a Special Planning Board meeting was arranged for 25 January 2010, to provide the opportunity for officers to table and present their report prior to a Special Planning Board meeting to be held on 22 February 2010 , having considered all representations on the revised draft SPD.
The Council has not adopted the SPD. Following the Planning Board meeting on 22 February, no decision has yet been taken as to the next steps in the process.
