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Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
THE YORKSHIRE & HUMBER PLAN
EXAMINATION IN PUBLIC
BACKGROUND PAPER 9
HOW THE PLAN ADDRESSES
SOCIAL INCLUSION
SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
The draft Yorkshire and Humber Plan was submitted to Government in December
2005. It forms the new draft Regional Spatial Strategy for this Region. Public
consultation took place on the draft Plan between January and April 2006. The
Examination In Public to test the Plan is taking place in September/October 2006.
This background paper forms one of ten papers prepared by the Yorkshire and
Humber Assembly (YHA) to help explain the Plan’s approach. This paper adopts a
‘thematic’ or ‘cross-cutting’ approach to demonstrate how different parts of the
Plan collectively seek to address social inclusion.
Specifically, this paper:




Considers the national policy position (Section 2)
Summarises the key features of social exclusion in the Region (Section 3)
Considers how the current RSS (2004) deals with social inclusion (Section 4)
Overviews the approach of the draft Yorkshire and Humber Plan to social
inclusion (Section 5)
 Identifies and explains in detail how different parts of the Plan address social
inclusion (Appendix 1)
SECTION 2 - BACKGROUND
National Policy Position
Minimising social exclusion and promoting social inclusion and social justice is a
priority of all levels of Government in the UK. Responsibility at a national level is
now the remit of the Department of Communities and Local Government1, which
leads on policy and delivery in addressing social inclusion and deprivation.
Successive Governments have sought out to tackle social inclusion by a wide range
of policies and increasingly seeking to adopt a multidimensional partnership
approach to implementation.
1
DCCG was created in May 2006 to promote community cohesion and equality and with responsibility for
housing, urban regeneration, planning, the regions and local government.
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Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
The establishment of the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) in 1997 introduced the
concept of ‘social exclusion’, broadly defined as a combination of problems faced
by those who live in deprived areas- sometimes referred to as multiple
deprivations. Examples include poor health, family breakdown, lack of skills, low
educational attainment levels and poor housing and physical environment.
Initiatives have included implementing a national strategy for neighbourhood
renewal, encouraging employment through enterprise schemes, tackling crime
through neighbourhood wardens and CCTV schemes.
The new Social Exclusion Taskforce (which replaces the SEU) is led by the Minister
for the Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion. An Action Plan is being prepared
setting out how the Government will reach the most at-risk and focus on hard-toreach groups, including children in care, people with mental health problems and
teenagers at risk of pregnancy. A cross-Government approach is employed with
the DCLG leading on the policy and delivery of addressing social inclusion and
deprivation in deprived areas and, through the responsibilities for local
government, regional matters, housing and sustainable communities seeking to
ensure that all communities share economic prosperity and are socially inclusive.
The Government emphasizes the importance working with external stakeholders.
SECTION 3 - FEATURES OF SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE REGION
The Region is diverse with a large number of sub-areas with distinct local
economies, communities, local culture and traditions. There are considerable
disparities of income and deprivation levels across the Region. In broad terms, the
northern part of the Region has the lowest levels of social inclusion and highest
household incomes. Conversely the lowest household incomes and highest
indicators of deprivation and exclusion are found in the industrial cities and towns
in West and South Yorkshire and in urban areas on both banks of the Humber.
Even in the most prosperous areas of the Region about 1 in 5 households are
judged to suffer from severe exclusion. By most measures of deprivation Yorkshire
and Humber is between 6th – 9th of the English Regions.
The following features and characteristics of social exclusion are taken from
Progress in the Region 2005 (Yorkshire Futures).
Education & Skills
 Region performs below the England average in attainment at Key Stage 2.
 Region is bottom of England regions for GCE/ GNVG results.
 Region ranks 6 of 9 in attainment of NVQ level 3 and 4.
Deprivation
 Almost 30% of the Region’s Super Output Areas (SOA’s) fall into the 20%
most deprived in England.
 The most deprived areas are in the urban areas of West and South Yorkshire
and Hull.
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Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
Income & Employment
 Bradford, Doncaster, Hull and North East Lincolnshire have the highest
percentage of SOA for income deprivation.
 In 2004, gross average weekly earnings were £392.90- 7th of 9 English
Regions- with average annual household incomes over £5000 less than the
England average.
Health
 Life expectancy at birth is 75.5 years for males (England average 76.2) and
80.3 for females (England average 80.7).
 Life expectancy ranges from 73.7 years in Hull to 78.4 in Craven for men and
79.1 in Bradford to 82.7 Ryedale.
Child Poverty
 Region has 22.4% households with children living in poverty, compared with
the England average of 15.3%. At a local authority level they range from
33.1% in Hull to 11.8% in Craven.
Crime and Community Safety
 Region has the second highest rate of recorded crime in the English Regions
and Wales.
 There has been a decrease in crime between 2003/4 and 2004/5.
 Local authorities with the highest % of SOA whose crime and disorder score
falls within the most deprived quintile are Bradford, Leeds, Hull and North East
Lincolnshire.
SECTION 4 – THE CURRENT RSS APPROACH TO SOCIAL EXCLUSION
The current RSS (2004) identified social exclusion as a ‘KEY OBJECTIVE’ (Social
Progress Which Recognises the Needs of Everyone) and a ‘STRATEGIC THEME’
(Promoting Social Inclusion).
Policy S2 Regeneration Priority Areas sets the priority for regional regeneration
initiatives and programmes:


Firstly, South Yorkshire and the coalfields (eligible for Objective 1 Funding)
Secondly, the most deprived parts of the older industrial area and the remote
rural and coastal areas (eligible for EU Objective 2 funding).
Policy P1 Strategic Patterns of Development supports the delivery of regeneration
and concentration of development.
The Spatial Strategy (P1) was related to the four sub-regions in terms of Objective
1 and 2 areas and the general extent of social exclusion.
There are important references in the RSS (2004) to:

access to jobs and training
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Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion



access to affordable housing and making best use of the existing stock
widening travel choice and reducing car dependency
improving access to health, education, retail, leisure facilities, open space,
sport and recreation.
The current RSS (December 2004) has numerous policy references to the need to
tackle poverty and social exclusion. The main spatial expression is based on the
then extent of Objective 1 and 2 areas. RSS 2004 is a good starting point for the
Plan’s approach to tackling exclusion. It recognises more explicitly the extent of
social exclusion in all parts of the Region and more recent deprivation information
available by Super Output Area (see pages 12-14 of the Yorkshire and Humber
Plan December 2005).
SECTION 5 - THE PLAN’S APPROACH TO SOCIAL INCLUSION
The Plan has developed the approach taken in the current RSS to address the
issue of social exclusion in the Region. Appendix 1 provides a detailed breakdown
as to how the Plan addresses the issue of social inclusion in the Region, through
the Plan’s core approach, sub area policies and thematic policies.
Overall, the draft Yorkshire and Humber Plan seeks to improve the quality of life
and health of residents within the Region and a priority is addressing the problems
associated with excluded communities. In particular, the Plan aims to transform
the social conditions within older industrial areas, which often have higher
concentrations of exclusion apparent.
Section 2 of the Plan summarises the key characteristics regarding the quality of
life in the Region. It recognises the wide variations and concentrations of
deprivation and exclusion within the Region. The core approach, sub-area policies
and thematic chapters attempt to reflect these variations and provide for greater
social equality across the Region.
Core and Sub Area Approaches
The core approach emphasises the importance of connecting excluded
communities with the benefits and opportunities arising from growth. The Plan
recognises the need for a more interventionist approach to connect people in need
with opportunities. The urban focus adopted in the draft Plan will help to achieve
this by locating new development in the regions urban areas where most
significant levels of deprivation are concentrated.
The Plan also supports the enhancement of communities in the smaller settlements
of the coastal and rural areas. The Plan’s sub area policies address the issues of
isolation and peripherality facing the Region’s rural and coastal areas – in a way
that is responsive to the different needs of the sub areas.
The current RSS (December 2004) includes ‘regeneration priority areas’ for the
Region. The Plan addresses the regeneration needs of the Region through its Core
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Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
and Sub Area approaches. This provides a more responsive and spatially specific
means of establishing regeneration priorities that are meaningful to the whole
region.
For example policies LCR1 and LCR2 for Leeds City Region aim to spread the
economic growth across the whole city region and to better connect excluded
communities with job opportunities. The 5 growth areas indicated in Policy LCR2
have typically high levels of social exclusion and will greatly benefit as locations for
investment and from improved access to Leeds and other town/city centres.
This has also been the approach for South Yorkshire and Humber Estuary subareas. Additionally, regeneration schemes for both these sub-areas have been
identified as regionally significant investment priorities (see Background Paper 7
for more information).
A key emphasis for the Coast and Remoter Rural sub-areas is the promotion of
economic diversification, which will help support the local economies and provide
greater local opportunities for residents and local businesses.
In all the sub-areas, the role of public transport has been highlighted as an
important aspect of connecting excluded communities. The Plans focus on
Regional, Sub Regional and Principal Service centres will help to reduce the need
to travel and provide these places as accessible locations for the provision of jobs,
services and facilities. Improved accessibility for people is a key theme of the Plan.
Thematic Policies
In terms of housing, Policy H3 of the draft Plan provides affordable housing
targets at a local authority level. These figures reflect the variations in affordability
across the Region and will play an integral role in dealing with social inequalities.
Policy H4 is aimed at addressing the issue of inadequate housing mix across the
Region, which is inhibiting the development of sustainable communities. The
housing distribution approach (see Background Paper 2) has sought to achieve a
better balance between future housing and economic growth.
The Plan’s economic policies, particularly E1, promote proximity and access to
employment, training and skills development. The focussing of most new
development within the urban centres (E2) will enable the best possible level of
access to services for the whole community. In addition, the Policy E7 promotes
the diversification and strengthening of the rural economy, which seeks to provide
new opportunities for residents in these areas. Overall the Plan seeks to support
competitive and diverse economy (see Background Paper 8) which will help toward
providing good quality employment opportunities for all.
In the environment section, improvements in access to woodlands and
recreational areas by means other then personal car is a key theme of Policy ENV7.
Policy ENV11 recognises that there is a strong relationship between poor health
and social exclusion. It targets economic development in proximity to the areas
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Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
characterised by social exclusion and promotes the accessibility of health care
facilities and recreational facilities. These policies attempt to increase the overall
health and social inclusion for residents and provide an opportunity for greater
participation in recreational activities.
One of the key themes of the Regional Transport Strategy is the promotion of
improved public transport. Improving access to public transport is a key step in
connecting excluded communities with employment, services and leisure facilities.
The transport policies seek to improve availability and accessibility of public
transport within both urban and rural areas. Policy T5 also aims to provide public
transport access to tourist locations. The promotion of walking and cycling will
also help engender better health. Policy YH8 in the Core Approach requires a
‘transport orientated’ approach to ensure that development is focussed along
existing or planned public transport, walking and cycling.
SECTION 6 - CONCLUSIONS
The sustainability Appraisal of the Plan (see Background Paper 3 identifies ‘reduced
social inequalities’ as one of the likely cumulative impacts of the Plan policies. The
scooping stage of the appraisal had identified health inequalities, growing
disparities, income levels and social exclusion as social inequalities which
collectively formed one of the key sustainability issues facing the Region.
The current RSS (December 2004) includes a chapter on ‘Social Infrastructure’.
The approach taken to ‘social issues’ in the Plan has been to integrate and address
social issues throughout the Plan and its different types of Polices.
Yorkshire and Humber Assembly
July 2006
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Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
Appendix 1: WHERE AND HOW THE PLAN ADDRESSES SOCIAL INCLUSION
PLAN REFERENCES TO SOCIAL INCLUSION
FURTHER EXPLANATION
Executive summary & key diagram
Page ii). Key Spatial Priorities
The Region needs … improve the quality of life prosperity and health of current and
future generations.
Key priorities are:

Transform economic, environmental and social conditions in the older
industrialized parts of south Yorkshire, west Yorkshire and the Humber….
The Executive Summary and Key Diagrams seek to capture the main
message of the Plan, which includes promoting social inclusion. There
is evidence of social exclusion in all parts of the Region, with deprived
households and excluded communities alongside areas characterized
by overall prosperity. However, there are particular concentration of
exclusion in the older industrialised areas of South and West Yorkshire
and north and south of the Humber and also in the coastal areas and
some of the Region’s more remote rural upland areas.
Section 2
The Yorkshire And Humber Region
Page 8 Paragraph 2.1
This section considers the main characteristics…. trends and issues that the Plan
needs to take into account.
Page 9 Paragraph 2.4
The Regions characteristics can be most easily summarised under five headings,
including the “quality of life of the Region”.
Page 11
Quality of life in the Region lists
 Wide variations and concentration of deprivation and exclusion
 The Region has a disproportionately high numbers of England’s most
deprived areas. Fig 2.1 shows the indices of deprivation (2004) by quintile
(20% bands). The most deprived areas being large parts of the urban areas
of South and West Yorkshire and Hull, with significant concentrations in
coalfield communities, main towns south of the Humber, some of the
coastal area and a number of the more remote Pennine areas and rural
areas
 The Region has above average recorded crime rates and below average life
expectancy compared with the England average, with the worst conditions
in the Region’s industrialised areas.
i
The Plan must focus on spatial matters, but to, do so it needs to
consider the Region’s historical and prevailing specific characteristics,
trends and issues. A key concern of the Plan is promoting social
progress and sustainable communities.
Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
Paragraph 2.9 Page 15
By 2021…. a significantly larger population over 65, 25% more in 2021 than 2001….
the fastest growing sub group will be the very
elderly (requiring) the greatest health, social and community support
Policy Implications and Sustainability Issues Page 16
Paragraph 2.12 …if trends continue (and without intervention)…


There will be varied economic performance across the Region with
“winning” and “losing” areas.
There will still be an uneven pattern of quality of life across the Region with
evident social exclusion and in equality.
Table 2.5 Key Sustainability Issues in The Region Page 17
Social inequalities rising health inequalities and growing disparities in income levels
and social exclusion (within the Region and with other Regions)
ii
The population of all countries with mature developed economies
continues to become more aged as birth rates decline and life
expectancy increases. This trend has obvious benefits for most
individuals and societies but important consequences for all scales of
spatial planning. It will pose major challenges and opportunities for all
parts of the Region. The challenges will be particularly acute in areas
of particular high concentrations of income deprived older households
and in area of general deprivation.
Paragraph 2.12 considers projecting recent growth rates and Trends to
the end of the Plan period in 2021. The Plan generally seeks to
maximise the growth potential of the Region and its sub areas in a
sustainable way and to connect excluded communities and households
to the opportunities, services and facilities that growth will offer.
In the past, economic growth has not benefited everyone in the
Region equally. There is evidence that the disparity in wealth and
quality of life across the Region is growing. The Plan seeks to narrow
this gap.
Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
Table 26 Progress in the Region 2005-Policy Implications Page 18


Advanced economy- raise employment rates
Educated And Skilled people
- improve GCSE/Academic Qualifications
- improve Basic Skills
- address Skills Gaps

First Class Quality of Life- address economic inactivity
- improve community well being
These are the main actions identified in Progress in the Region 2005,
which relate directly to achieving more sociable inclusion. Increasing
the proportion of the working age population in employment,
improving educational attainment and skills and improving community
well being all are vital to secure a good quality of life for all. Helping
to create inclusive sustainable communities with improved accessibility
can support these actions.
Table 3.1 Advancing Together Objectives Page 29

‘Advancing Together’, the starting point for all the Region’s Strategic
stresses the significance of social inclusion
a socially cohesive and inclusive Region
Table 3.2 The Plan’s Spatial Vision Page 30
By the end of the Plan period, in 2021, the region will…. reduced inequalities across
its area
Table 3.3 Plan Objectives Page 31
B Seeking social equality and inclusion
iii
Promoting social inclusion is a key part of the Plan’s Spatial Vision and
Plan Objectives.
Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
Section 4 Core Approach
4.6 Headlines of the Core Approach Page 33
 Achieve a focus of development and investment to better connect with
excluded communities.
Policy YH 1 Overall Approach Page 34
Growth and change will be managed; ……to;
 Better connect excluded communities with the benefits and opportunities
arising from growth.
 Improve people’s accessibility to housing, employment, shopping, cultural,
health, education, leisure facilities and services.
Policy YH3 Key spatial priorities Page 39
All Plans…. aim to
1) transform…. social conditions in the older industrialised parts of South Yorkshire,
West Yorkshire and the Humber
Page 43 Policy YH5 Urban Focus
A Regional and Sub Regional centre will be the prime focus for housing,
employment (and community and social facilities in the Region)
Policy YH7 Vibrant Rural and Coast Areas Page 47
The enhancement of…. communities will be achieved through spatial planning…
Policy YH8 Location of Development Page 48
A In distributing land for development LPAs, in support of policies YH5, YH6 and
YH7
1). concentrate the majority…. on regional and sub regional centre.
iv
These “headlines” are the basis of the high level approach to deliver
the Plan’s spatial vision. The emphasis on benefiting the Regions
excluded communities is shared by all the Regions strategies. The Plan
seeks to “connect” most new development by both proximity and good
public transport. Improved links between excluded communities and
households and the facilities, services and jobs that can improve their
quality of life. The overall approach also links back to Scenario B‘matching needs with opportunities’.
This is a key component of the Plan: the concept of transformational
change. The Plan commends a broadly-based approach to meeting the
needs of deprived communities to create sustainable communities
where physical economic and social initiatives acting together improve
the quality of life. Focusing most new development, including market
orientated social and community facilities in the Region’s major cities
and towns in locations which are accessible to all sectors of the
community has particular benefits for excluded households and
communities.
Concentrations of social exclusion are spread across the Region, not
just in the larger settlements. The Plan supports strengthening the role
of Principal Service Centres and Local Service Centres with appropriate
scale new development and meeting locally derived affordable housing
needs where justified by demand and the needs of the local economy.
This reinforces earlier YH policies about the requirement that local
planning authorities when making plans and determining planning
application ensure development patterns are more concentrated and
accessible by non-car users and that this approach will have wide
ranging benefits for all, including excluded communities.
Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
Section 6 Leeds City Region
Policy LCR 1 / 2 Page 79
Leeds City Region Sub Area Policy
B. Economic Development
 Help connect disadvantaged communities to the job opportunities being
generated.
E. Strategic Patterns of development
 ….encourage growth broadly across the south of the City Region.
F. Regionally significant investment priorities.
 ….support the Growth Area Priorities At:
 Airedale North of Bradford
 Bradford and Leeds- areas of restructuring and regeneration
 Coalfield Regeneration Area
 Aire Valley South of Leeds and East Leeds (EASEL)
 South Dewsbury
Section 7
South Yorkshire Sub Area
Policy SY1 Page 92
E Strategic Patterns of Development
 Focus Most New development at Sheffield…. Doncaster, Barnsley and
Rotherham.
 Promote development at the sub area’s Main Towns- Cudworth,
Goldthorpe, Hoyland, Penistone, Wombwell, Mexborough, Thorne,
Dinnington, Chapeltown and Stocksbridge
 Allow limited development in Local Service Centres…. and particularly where
this helps to regenerate for coalfield settlements in the Dearne Valley.
F Regionally Significant Investment priorities.
 Investment In large scale regeneration and master planning in Sheffield
and the Sub Regional Centres
v
The Leeds City Region contains almost half the Region’s population. It
has concentrations of both prosperity and poverty. There are particular
concentrations of deprivation in the southern parts of the main urban
core areas, in the industrial towns and coal mining communities and in
parts of the Pennine Fringe. The Plan’s policies aim to spread the
benefits of the continued growth of Leeds – within the City Region,
particularly to the five Growth Area’s and to the rest of the Region.
The five growth areas are all characterised by relatively high levels of
social exclusion.
All four districts, Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham are in
England’s 1st quintile (top 20%) in terms of the Indices of Deprivation
2004. This means multiple exclusion, including poor health, disability,
limiting long term illness and high levels of crime is focused on the
larger settlements. Because of historical patterns of industrialisation,
these conditions characterise many of the smaller and relatively
remote settlements where rebuilding locals economies is often more
problematic than partnership and public intervention in larger towns
and cities. A fundamental transformation of the sub area economy and
urban environment is well underway. This needs to continue to widen
access to jobs and enhanced lifestyles for the sub area’s excluded
communities. Sheffield in particular has undergone a major revival,
with ambitions to go further and thereby increase prosperity and
tackle deprivation in its City Region and the wider sub region.
Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
Section 8
Humber Estuary Sub area policy
Policy HE1 Page 101
B Economic Development
 Encourage growing and diversifying the local economics of the three main
urban areas
E Strategic Patterns of Development
 Focus most development on the main urban areas.
F Regionally Significant Investment Priorities
 Secure rapid urban renaissance progress in Hull, Grimsby and Scunthorpe.
Section 9
YORK SUB AREA
Policy Y1 Page 110
B Economy
 Spread the benefits of York’s economic success to other parts of the sub
area and ensure that all members of the community have access to
employment opportunities
D Transport connections
 Improve public transport links between LSC’s….York….Principal Service
Centres
vi
Hull is England’s 6th most deprived local authority area. Grimsby and
Scunthorpe are smaller settlements, have strong evidence of the
relatively deprivation and exclusion, albeit at a lesser scale. Improving
quality of life, skills incomes and access to good quality social and
community facilities for the sub area’s excluded groups is a challenge
for all the Region’s strategies.
The Plan has an unambiguous focus on ensuring that new
development and major urban regeneration initiatives focus on the sub
areas three main settlements with development commensurate with
the role and needs of local service centres, including Goole.
Developing the range of activities related to the ports (Global
Gateway), the service role of city and town centres and fostering the
manufacturing sector will provide more jobs to increase activity rates
and income levels, with particular benefits for the sub area’s excluded
communities.
The York sub area has strong connections to the wider Leeds City
Region and it is continuing to develop a strong local economy, mainly
based on York itself, together with its
 unique built environment,
 location at the centre of the Region and the confluence of
important multi modal routes, and
 its strong representation in growth sectors
York, in common with all the Region’s larger areas has pockets of
deprivation – as does Selby. Much of the sub area is rural in nature,
where deprived and relatively affluent households live in close
proximity. As well as the Region wide policies to address exclusion the
Plan seeks to support the further economic diversification York
(subject to safeguarding York’s nationally significant character) to
create more jobs and further progress to improve accessibility to
benefit all households, particularly excluded communities &
households.
Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
Section 10
VALE AND TEES LINKS SUB AREA
Policy VTL 1 Page 117
B Economic Development
 Diversify the sub area economy to lessen dependence on the agricultural
economy and reduce out – commuting.
 Support the growth of Catterick Garrison.
G Joined up working
 ….develop good local transport links between these centres (PSC) and their
catchments
 Support the renewal and regeneration of the Tees Valley City Region and
the main urban area of the Leeds City Region.
Section 11
COAST SUB AREA
Policy C1 Page 126
B Economic Development
 Diversify the sub area’s economic base
D Transport Connections
 Strengthen transport services….
E Strategic Patterns of Development
 Focus the majority of growth on Scarborough with significant development
at Bridlington…. Allow small scale development….LSC coast settlements
F Regionally Significant Investment Priorities
 environment as a basis for economic diversification and regeneration
 Improve….built….natural
vii
The Districts which make up the sub area have, overall the Region’s
lowest levels of deprivation. However, much of this relative affluence
is based on economic activity and income earned by communities
outside the sub area. Deprived households are mostly spread across
the sub area, sharing most of the characteristics of all the Region’s
deprived households, but with rural / market Town factors, like relative
isolation and very limited affordable housing opportunities. The Plan
promotes appropriate scale economic diversification – especially in
PSC’s to create new jobs, improved public transport to increase
accessibility and more affordable housing in sustainable locations to
meet local needs.
The growth of Catterick Garrison over the Plan period will create
significant new local jobs for the North East part of the sub area.
Overall the Plan supports the regeneration of the main City Regions to
the north and south as the location for most new jobs, sub region-level
services and housing within their main urban areas.
The Coast sub area has some of the Region’s most polarised and
challenging social and economical conditions, with high quality natural
and built environments as the context for high levels of urban and
rural deprivation. Social exclusion is evident across the whole sub
area, with particular concentrations in Scarborough and Bridlington,
but also less urban areas like South Holderness and also near the Tees
Valley City Region area. To address social inclusion, the Plan priorities
include diversifying the sub area economy by focusing most growth at
Scarborough and Bridlington to develop economic critical mass and
momentum, better non-car connections between the sub area’s
communities and to inland larger urban area’s with a full range of
social, educational, health and employment facilities. The growing
importance of distinctive diverse life and work styles and the ageing
population demographic trends has particular employment opportunity
benefits for the Coast sub area.
Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
Section 12
REMOTER RURAL SUB AREA
Page 133 Policy RR1
B Economic Development
 Foster economic diversification
 Encourage creative, diverse and low impact enterprises, which provide
employment opportunities and contribute to meeting local needs.
D Transport Connections
 Encourage innovative public transport initiatives…. to improve access to
service centres and to more distant larger centres.
Section 13
POLICY H3
Page 154 The Provision of Affordable Housing
A On developments of more than 15 homes authorities should seek.
i.
40% in areas of high need (all North Yorkshire DC’s and East Riding U.A)
ii.
Between 30-35% in areas of medium need (Leeds, Wakefield, Kirklees and
Sheffield).
iii.
Less than 29% in areas of low need (Bradford, Calderdale, Barnsley,
Rotherham, Doncaster, North Lincolnshire, East Lincolnshire and Hull)
POLICY H4
Page 158 Housing Mix
A The following areas in the Region would particularly benefit from a change in the
current mix of housing provision.
i.
Hull
ii.
The Former coalfield areas of West and South Yorkshire
iii.
The former textile towns of West Yorkshire
iv.
The larger coastal towns
viii
Most of the Region’s Northern upland areas centred on the Yorkshire
Dales and North Yorkshire Moors National Parks and adjoining AONB
areas are included in the Remoter Rural sub area. Protecting and
improving the natural and built environment is the pre-eminent policy
approach. However, the decline of upland farming and the wider
agricultural economy and pressure on the limited housing stock
continues to have a particular severe effect on the sub area’s lower
income and excluded households. The Plan seeks to promote a more
sustainable local economy – based on small, low impact enterprises
mainly in LSC’s, more affordable housing and other measures to
ensure an increased and safeguarded stock of affordable housing and
better public transport to link people to jobs and services.
The 2003 Affordability Index (A1) (the relationship at a district level of
average cost of housing and incomes) identified a wide range of
conditions across the Region ranging from about 2.2 in Hull to 7.8 in
Harrogate. Today the A1 is likely to be over 10 in some parts of the
Region. Access to affordable housing is a problem for excluded and
low-income families in many parts of the Region. Policy H.3 develops
national guidance to provide local authority level affordable housing
targets for new housing and mixed use developments.
A significant number of the Region’s cities and towns have significant
housing communities based on specific features of age, type or tenure
and often based on a largely historical local economy. These areas
often share common features of obselesence, lack of social and
community facilities and quality green space. The community usually
has high concentration of social exclusion.
The plan commends, where justified major intervention and master
planning to improve conditions for all and to create mixed and more
sustainable local communities.
Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
Section 14
ECONOMY
Page 110 Policy E1
Creating a successful and competitive regional economy
C. Facilitate the spatial links between job opportunities, skills development (and
needs), business productivity and investment and the needs of excluded
communities.
It is clear that income deprivation and the inability to access paid
employment is, perhaps the most important determinant of social
exclusion.
This Policy applies the high-level directional core approach policies
YH1, YH3 and YH4, which collectively seek to improve the access of
excluded communities to the facilities, and opportunities they need to
secure quality of life improvements.
Policy E1 specifically promotes proximity and access to jobs, training
and up skilling opportunities. There is a strong relationship between
high levels of social exclusion, below average levels of people of
working age in the workforce and low skills, training and educational
attainment levels. The Region as a whole is significantly below the
England average with particularly wide gaps evident in the industrial
areas of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and around the Humber and
in parts of the coast. This policy seeks to promote an integrated
approach and strong linkage – by proximity and good non-car links
between excluded communities, training opportunities and jobs,
particular in growth sectors.
Section 15
ENVIRONMENT
Page 221 Policy ENV 7
Agriculture
Development of poorer agricultural land (if justified) will facilitate one or more of:
C Creation of woodland especially in East, South and West Yorkshire
F Recreation projects, especially in areas of poor health in South and West
Yorkshire
Page 241 ENV. 11
Health and Recreation
A Improve health by…..
i.
Targeting economic development in and around urban areas, especially
ix
Most of the Region’s Towns and cities are deficient in quality urban
green space and suffer from limited access to nearby countryside,
other than by car. Recreation projects on former farmland around the
Region’s industrial cities and towns with good access to areas of
concentrated deprivation can have particular benefits for excluded
households.
There is a close relationship between high levels of employment and
participation in sport and recreation and lower levels of preventable ill
health and long-term illness. This policy reinforces strengthening
these links by focussing economic development and improving cycling
and walking routes in and around the Region’s main concentrations of
ii.
iii.
Hull, South and West Yorkshire
Safeguarding and enhancing facilities for sport and recreation
Maximizing opportunities to develop walking and cycling routes….Hull,
South and West Yorkshire
B Ensure adequate and accessible health care facilities by:
i.
Retaining and developing major health care facilities within major cities
and towns and supporting provision of outreach facilities in rural areas
ii.
Locating health care facilities in places accessible by good public Transport
and means other than by car
`
x
Background Paper 9 – Social Inclusion
social inclusion.
Participation rates for sport and recreation are lower than the England
average across the Region and are generally lowest in areas of
deprivation. Hence the Plan supports safeguarding and enhancing
sport and recreation facilities with a particular emphasis on good
access to areas characterised by high levels of exclusion.
Good access to healthcare is an important feature of quality of life. As
the Region’s population ages and healthcare provision changes, it is
important that facilities are accessible to all especially elderly and low
income households who often have demanding healthcare issues and
limited or no access to a private car. This means that all major
healthcare facilities should be accessible by good public transport and
appropriate facilities should address the needs of households in more
remote small settlements and rural areas.