On behalf of our client, Bourne Leisure Ltd., please find below representations on the Norfolk Minerals and Waste Local Plan Review Initial Consultation (May 2018), published for consultation until 13 August 2018.
Background
Bourne Leisure operates more than 50 holiday sites in the form of holiday parks, family entertainment resorts and hotels in Great Britain and is therefore a significant contributor to the national tourist economy, as well as local visitor economies. The sites are managed by a number of subsidiary companies which include Haven, Butlins and Warner Leisure Hotels. Within Norfolk, Bourne Leisure operates four Haven holiday parks: Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park, Seashore Holiday Park, Wild Duck Holiday Village and Hopton Holiday Village. All four of these parks are located within the local planning authority area of Great Yarmouth.
Many of the Company's hotels and holiday sites are located in rural and/or coastal areas and these environments are one of the key draws for these holidays. The Company's operations are also major contributors to local and regional economies, both directly and indirectly. It is therefore vitally important to Bourne Leisure that both the environments within which their sites are located are protected and enhanced, to help the Company to continue to attract customers, and that planning policies also support their regular investment to provide new and improved facilities. This investment is also required to respond to changing market conditions. For many of the Company's holiday locations, improvements may necessitate the expansion of sites in order to improve the quality of accommodation, decrease densities, or increase the range of facilities in order to respond to visitors' requirements and to extend the holiday season.

Response to Policy Approaches
Minerals and Waste Local Plan Vision to 2036
Bourne Leisure considers that in order to set out a comprehensive and robust vision for the future of minerals and waste in Norfolk, it is important to recognise the role of Norfolk's local economy and how sectors outside minerals and waste may be affected by the proposals in the Plan. Paragraph 80 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, July 2018) requires planning policies to "help create conditions in which businesses can invest, expand and adapt". It goes on to state that both local business needs and wider development opportunities should be taken into account in supporting economic growth and productivity.
Bourne Leisure therefore considers that an amendment to the Plan's vision is necessary so that the potential impacts are recognised of the location, design and operation of minerals development and waste management facilities, in terms of the effects they could have on the local economy, including, for example, on tourism accommodation and related visitor facilities. The inclusion of this amendment within the vision of the emerging Plan would also ensure that it better aligns with its draft policies, such as Policy MW2, where there is greater consideration of the role of the local economy.
Bourne Leisure suggests that the Plan's vision is amended to include additional text as follows (new text in CAPITALS):
"Minerals development and waste management facilities will be located, designed and operated without adverse impacts on the amenity of local communities, the natural, built and historic environment, THE LOCAL ECONOMY OR the landscape and townscape of Norfolk."

Policy MW2 - Development Management Criteria
Bourne Leisure owns and operates four holiday parks in Norfolk and as set out above, it is important for the Company to ensure these Parks have the ability to continue to attract customers and therefore bring wider economic and social benefits to Norfolk. Bourne Leisure therefore endorses draft Policy MW2 as it requires development proposals to demonstrate that there are no unacceptable impacts against a number of criteria including local amenity, the visual/landscape environment and the character and quality of the area. These are all key considerations that would affect holiday parks and their ability to continue to operate effectively.

This approach is consistent with national policy, namely part (f) of paragraph 204 of the NPPF which requires planning policies to set out criteria to ensure permitted and proposed developments do not have unacceptable adverse impacts on the natural and historic environment or human health.
Bourne Leisure does not suggest any amendments to this draft policy.

Policy MW3 - Transport
Bourne Leisure endorses draft Policy MW3 for the requirement that proposals do not result in unacceptable traffic impacts, including in relation to pedestrians, other road users and air quality. The NPPF requires consideration of transport issues early in the plan-making and development proposals process so that, among other things, the potential impacts of development on transport networks can be addressed and any adverse environmental impacts of traffic and transport infrastructure can be avoided and mitigated (paragraph 102).
The proposed policy approach is therefore consistent with national policy, as it aims to ensure that any mineral or waste development proposals will not have any adverse traffic impacts that could affect customers at Bourne Leisure's holiday parks in Norfolk. This is particularly important in relation to highway safety for guests and the air quality at and near to the Company's holiday parks.
Bourne Leisure does not suggest any amendments to this draft policy.

Policy MP2 - Spatial Strategy for Minerals Extraction
Bourne Leisure considers it is necessary that when establishing a spatial strategy for the extraction of minerals, all land uses are considered so that consideration is given to making environmental improvements and ensuring safe and healthy living conditions while endeavouring to make efficient use of land (NPPF, paragraph 117). The Company therefore considers that draft Policy MP2 should be amended so that tourism development is considered as a sensitive receptor to amenity impacts. The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) identifies the visitor economy as a key sector for Norfolk's economy, as identified in their Economic Strategy (November 2017). As a result, it is key that any minerals and waste development does not have an adverse impact on tourism developments, as this would in turn impact on the sector's contribution to the local and wider economy. This is particularly important in relation to tourism accommodation, as it increasingly supports longer stays; if not considered appropriately in relation to the impacts of proposed minerals and waste development, harmful effects could result in a number of direct impacts - and critically, indirect impacts such as the loss of local jobs and reduced spend in local businesses.
Bourne Leisure therefore suggests the following amendments to part (h) of the draft policy (new text in CAPITALS):
"h. Sensitive receptors to amenity impacts (residential dwellings, educational facilities, workplaces, healthcare and TOURISM AND leisure facilities) and 250 metres around each sensitive receptor."

Appendix 4 - Development excluded from safeguarding provisions
Bourne Leisure considers it necessary that development relating to caravans, chalets and touring pitches be added to the table at Appendix 4. There is no reason why this sort of development would inhibit the use of a site for sand and gravel extraction in the future any differently than other development listed in the table, including for example, the minor infilling of development in towns and villages and the extension to existing settlements of no more than 2ha. The inclusion of caravan, chalet and touring pitch development in this table would also give Bourne Leisure and any other holiday park operators confidence that any future planning applications for the four holiday parks across the Plan area would be determined as efficiently and effectively as possible Bourne Leisure therefore suggest that the table at Appendix 4 is amended to also include "Caravans (static and touring), tents and chalets and any other caravan park development that is 'minor'" as development excluded from safeguarding provisions.