Where a development would create a need for additional or improved infrastructure, services or facilities or exacerbate an existing deficiency, contributions will be sought to ensure that the appropriate improvements are completed in advance of completion. Exceptionally, where provision on site is not appropriate, the Council will seek the delivery of equivalent community benefits off site, or a financial contribution in lieu.

HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION
Purpose; To maximise the Regeneration Benefits to Lancaster District of growth at Lancaster University and the University of Cumbria.
Through the preparation of Local Development Documents, the Council will seek to maximise the economic benefits of the Higher Education sector and seek to spread its impacts to areas of deprivation by;

• Supporting the continued expansion of Lancaster University within the existing built-up part of the campus and, outside this area, where special
  justification is demonstrated;
• Developing the Lancaster Science Park as a high quality location for knowledge based industries and with functional and physical linkages between the Park and Lancaster University;
• Introducing a master planned approach to the campuses of the University of Cumbria and Lancaster and Morecambe College involving local communities;
• Developing travel plans for Higher and Further Education Institutions;
• Concentrating new student accommodation on campus where possible and failing that in locations with good public transport, walking and cycling links to the institutions they are intended to serve;
• Bringing the benefits of university expansion to target communities through better transport links, outreach work and encouraging a higher education presence in Morecambe.

REGENERATION PRIORITY AREAS
Purpose: To set out a Strategic Spatial Framework for Regeneration in Lancaster District
CENTRAL MORECAMBE is identified as a Regeneration Priority Area of sub-regional importance. Through tourism, housing renewal and heritage led regeneration, central Morecambe will be re-invented as a visitor destination drawing on its natural and built heritage, and as an office and service centre with
restored historic townscape and a revived housing market;

The following are identified as Regeneration Priority Areas of local importance;

• CENTRAL LANCASTER; Design-led Regeneration will be strengthened as a shopping destination, enhanced as a historic city visitor attraction with a restored and enhanced historic environment, as the District’s main centre for office based employment and as a cultural centre;
• CATON ROAD: Gateway and Transport Corridor Regeneration will be enhanced. A transport strategy will improve public transport and pedestrian and cycle links. A Business Development Zone will be identified. Areas close to the M6 will accommodate industries with a demonstrated need for direct motorway access. Uses that employ a lot of people will be focused close to Lancaster City Centre.
• LUNESIDE: mixed-use waterfront regeneration will receive flood defences and remediation. In the longer term, a river crossing providing access, cycle,
  pedestrian and public transport links could assist the westward extension of the mixed-use regeneration of Luneside East. Measures to manage the heavy goods vehicle movements generated by development will continue to be a major factor;
• NORTH EAST LANCASTER; Urban edge Regeneration Regeneration of the Lancaster Moor Hospital area which reflects the District’s ambitions on sustainable development, balanced communities and design quality and reflects the importance of this area in shaping perceptions of the District;
• WHITE LUND Employment Regeneration will continue to be the District’s main location for general employment uses. Employment intensive- uses will be located on the main public transport axis of Northgate and linkages with the District cycle network will be encouraged; Transport choice will be improved and environmental quality upgraded. A Business Development Zone will be identified
• SOUTH HEYSHAM: Green Regeneration will be upgraded with habitat creation including woodland , renewable energy, environment and recycling
  technologies. Provision will be made for port related development.

EMPLOYMENT LAND ALLOCATIONS
Purpose To promote Regeneration by ensuring that the right amount of Employment Land is provided, in the right place to meet needs generated by existing businesses, new businesses and inward investment.
At least 24 ha will be developed for new B1, B2 and B8 employment use within the District between 2003 and 2021. Sites will be identified in accordance with the following principles;

• Located within the main urban areas of Lancaster, Morecambe and Carnforth;
• Be attractive to key target sectors and have a reasonable prospect of coming forward for development;
• Be located on previously used land as far as possible;
• Be served by a realistic choice of means of transport;
• Be accessible to shops and community facilities;
• Be connected to the M6 via suitable roads that do not pass through residential areas.

• LANCASTER CITY CENTRE will be a sub-regional City Centre - the main comparison shopping destination for Lancaster District attracting significant numbers of shopping trips from adjoining parts of Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Central Lancashire as well as developing a role as a tourist destination;
• MORECAMBE TOWN CENTRE will continue to develop as a Town Centre providing local comparison and convenience shopping goods for the District north of the River Lune and retaining an important role as a visitor destination;
• CARNFORTH TOWN CENTRE will develop a District centre role as a Key Service Centre, Market Town and visitor destination;
• BARE (PRINCES CRESCENT), CATON, HEYSHAM ROAD, HEYSHAM, LANCASTER UNIVERSITY, SILVERDALE, TORRISHOLME, WEST END and WESTGATE will develop as local service centres providing key services to local communities.

• Supporting the restoration of the Midland Hotel and Victoria Pavilion (Winter Gardens) and the creation of a quality leisure offer in Central MORECAMBE;
• Creating a high quality historic environment in LANCASTER CITY CENTRE developing the potential of the Castle and Town Hall and, through regeneration and new development create new environments of a quality which enhance the City;
• Continuing the regeneration of CARNFORTH’s railway, canal and industrial heritage;
• In the District’s COUNTRYSIDE, encouraging agricultural diversification to create quiet recreation and small scale sensitively designed visitor attractions and accommodation in the District’s countryside, promoting new walking and cycling routes including long-distance routes and linkages to national networks.
• Monitoring the availability and quality of the District’s stock of visitor accommodation and making provision for new accommodation where necessary.

• Promoting and encouraging the development of renewable energy resources across the District including, but not limited to, the promotion of South
  Heysham as a key focus for renewable energy generation including wind and biomass technology whilst ensuring the protection of Natura 2000 sites
  including the Morecambe Bay, Bowland Fells and Leighton Moss Special Protection Areas from adverse effects;
• Promoting micro-renewables through its Development Control policies;
• Promoting energy efficiency through Building Control;
• Participating in a study of the economic potential of environmental technologies in the District;

• Protecting and enhancing nature conservation sites, urban greenspaces, allotments, landscapes of national importance, listed buildings, conservation
  areas and archaeological sites:
• Protecting the North Lancashire Green Belt;
• Encouraging development which makes the minimum and most efficient use of finite natural resources including land, buildings soil, non-renewable
  energy, water and raw materials;
• Resisting development in places where environmental risks including from flooding cannot be properly managed;
• Taking full account of the needs and wishes of communities and, in particular, vulnerable and disadvantaged groups such as the elderly, young people and people with disabilities;
• Using all practicable means to make places more pleasant and liveable with safer, cleaner, more legible and more attractive streets and spaces;
• Resisting development which would have a detrimental effect on environmental quality and public amenity;
• Ensuring that development in the city of Lancaster and other historic areas conserves and enhances their sense of place;
• In areas where environmental quality is unsatisfactory such as Poulton and the West End of Morecambe, seeking development of a quality which will raise standards and help to deliver a step change in their environmental quality and sense of place;
• Identifying how habitats in urban and rural areas will be protected and, where possible, enhanced in extent and in their diversity of wildlife species;
• Directing development to locations, where previously developed land can be recycled and re-used, dereliction cleared and contamination remediated;·
  Conserving and enhancing landscapes.

• Focusing development on town centres and locations which offer a choice of modes of transport and resisting major development in car dependent locations;
• Improving walking and cycle networks, creating links and removing barriers and ensuring that development is integrated with pedestrian and cycle networks;
• Protecting land for strategic transport improvements such as the Heysham-M6 Link;
• Monitoring vehicle technological change and providing for low-emission vehicles;
• Reducing local traffic impacts through the Lancaster Air Quality Management Plan;

• The Council will work with partners to promote the following transportation measures:
• Better access to White Lund, South Heysham and its Port via the Heysham/M6 link;
• Better public transport between Heysham, Morecambe, Lancaster City Centre and University, more ‘Quality Bus’ services and, after completion of the Heysham/M6 link, more road space for buses, and other innovative solutions;
• Innovative rural transport initiatives such as Carnforth Connect;
• Integrating the provision and management of car parking and park and ride in Lancaster and Morecambe and managing parking (including disabled parking) in association with development;
• Innovative traffic management solutions such as Intelligent Transport Systems;
• Addressing the problems of lorry traffic in Carnforth by rationalising land uses and using road capacity freed up by the Heysham/M6 link;
• Investment in local freight and passenger rail services and additional halts.

• Establish face-to-face customer service centres in Lancaster and Morecambe;
• Seek to maintain and develop the quality and range of services offered in the District’s Town Centres;
• Seek to ensure that people have access to basic services close to where they live by focusing local services in local centres and key villages in rural areas.