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Contents

Our Strengths

Key Issues, Aims & Impacts

• Sustainable Housing
• Biodiversity
• Natural Resources & Waste Management
• Transport

Emerging Issues

Key Plans & 
Strategies

Key Contacts
 

• Provide incentives to property owners to maintain and improve their premises.
• Encourage conversion or redevelopment to provide new homes and local facilities where commercial viability no longer exists.
• Consider demolition and redevelopment of dilapidated and derelict buildings.
• Invest in the appearance of the street scene and provide more facilities for visitors.
• Develop further and implement ongoing and new regeneration initiatives.
• Create more attractive town and village centres by creating more attractive places providing local shops, leisure facilities and services.

• Current housing provision will have been rationalised, and development controls will ensure that housing stock balances the needs and preferences of the communities in Derwentside.
• Development control has powers which ensure that developments are only progressed if they have no net loss, or better still a positive benefit to biodiversity

• Derwentside District Council and partners actively promote sustainable design.
• To incorporate best practice principles in development proposals.
• Promote exemplar developments, which demonstrate best practice in sustainability.
• Local development documents recognise that the protection of biodiversity is a key test of sustainable development.
• Promote good design in all new development to ensure the efficient use of land and positive benefits for biodiversity.
• Ensure that development inside floodplains is undertaken using sustainability principles.

• The adoption of good design in all new development to ensure the efficient use of land and positive benefits for biodiversity.

• Continue to implement the current sympathetic programme of housing stock rationalisation.
• Review the ownership and management of Council Housing stock.
• Undertake a programme of targeted improvements to achieve Decent Homes Standard for Council housing by 2010.
• Work with partners to identify areas of private sector housing requiring intervention and the options available to deal with the problems.

• To achieve Decent Homes Standard for Council housing by 2010.
• All policies demonstrate and all development applications include a Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment.
• All organisations utilise sustainability checklists on project / intervention / programme decisions.
  

• To target resources to reduce the number of properties from the current list of long-term vacant properties.

• To have a proactive approach to empty properties

• To target resources to significantly reduce the number of unfit properties

• To meet the Decent Homes Standards across all sectors of housing.

• Work with developers to assess and meet local demand.
• Work with the County Durham ‘Supporting People Partnership to monitor and develop supported housing for vulnerable groups in the community.
• Undertake further research into the housing market.
• Develop flexible Local Development Documents to reflect
  changes in the housing market.

• In the Local Development Framework (LDF) reflect the housing needs and introduce controls to best meet the identified needs.

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