12.0 INTRODUCTION TO BRIDLINGTON MARKET AREA
12.1 The Bridlington Market Area includes the urban centre of Bridlington together with the three selected settlements of Bempton, Flamborough and Skipsea and 13 non-selected settlements.
12.2 Bridlington itself is the Borough's largest town and provides a wide range of services and employment opportunities. Its population comprises 38% of the Borough total and over 83% of that within the Market Area. Government guidance supports the approach of the Structure Plan of directing major growth towards such settlements. The role of the town as a service centre and major employment location suggests that this approach should continue, but this needs to be balanced against the need to protect the environment. The surrounding countryside is all high quality agricultural land and much of it performs an additional role in providing a setting for the town. Land allocations need to reflect these constraints but also need to direct development to those locations where they will be well served by facilities which residents will expect to be provided.
12.3 The extent of housing land allocations needs to take account of the contribution which will be made through the redevelopment of previously unidentified sites within the town and the conversion of large properties into smaller accommodation units. Appendix 8 sets out the assumptions which have been used in calculating this contribution.
12.4 To the north of Bridlington, the landscape is nationally recognised as a Heritage Coast where particular care needs to be applied to reflect the sensitive nature of this area. Land allocations made in both Flamborough and Bempton follow these principles and will retain the essential character of the villages.
12.5 To the south of Bridlington, caravan site development has a significant effect on the character and appearance of the surrounding area and most villages, including Skipsea, are small in size and have only a limited range of services.
12.6 Elsewhere within the Market Area, the non-selected settlements continue to provide opportunities for further infill development and Plan Policies are generally supportive of proposals for the conversion of traditional farm buildings and the redevelopment of intensive livestock units for housing use.
12.7 In view of the Secretary of State's advice to take a cautious approach to allocations it is not intended to significantly over allocate land. The recent review of housing land in Bridlington, Flamborough and Bempton, and the preparation of Informal Policy Statements for these areas has already considered the long term supply situation. Public consultation has largely endorsed these findings and this underpins the extent of land allocations in this Local Plan. It is recognised that some of the allocated sites may not come forward for development or may not be completed during the Plan period, but any shortfall here will likely be made up through the development of windfall sites, particularly those within the development limit for Bridlington. An assessment of housing completions in Bridlington over the last 3 years has shown that 25% of the new dwellings were built on sites which had not been allocated for development.