Issue - meetings

To receive a report seeking the Cabinet’s approval of the contents of the Land Availability Assessments and Sustainability Appraisal for additional sites.

Executive Councillor: T Sanderson.

The Cabinet has

(a)  approved the contents of the Land Availability Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal for additional sites submitted between 1 August 2024 and 31 January 2025;

(b)  agreed that the Land Availability Assessments and Sustainability Appraisal for additional sites be published for public consultation for six weeks between 23 April and 4 June 2025; and

(c)  granted delegated authority to the Head of Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Planning to make any necessary typographical or other minor changes to the document prior to its publication for consultation.  

A report by the Chief Planning Officer was submitted (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) seeking the Cabinet’s approval of the contents of the Land Availability Assessments and Sustainability Appraisal for additional sites and agreement for it to be published for public engagement for 6 weeks between 23 April and 4 June 2025.

By way of introduction, the Executive Councillor for Planning reported that between 1 August 2024 and 31 January 2025 the Ongoing Call for Sites had resulted in a further 68 sites which had been submitted and assessed by the Council. He then went on to report upon the views of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Performance & Growth) where comments around flooding in St Neots, lessons learnt from the previous call for sites and detailed communications plan were noted by the Cabinet.

In response to a question raised by the Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Waste and Street Scene, the Executive Councillor for Planning responded that he was aware of the anxieties amongst communities regarding this part of the process and advised that site allocations would not be completed until Autumn. Furthermore, he reported that just because a site had been suggested as part of the Call for Sites process, it did not necessarily mean that it would be developed upon. There was a need to engage with communities further to deliver these key messages and if Cabinet Members had any individuals concerns, then they were encouraged to raise them directly with the Executive Councillor for Planning.

The Executive Leader echoed the comments which had been made in respect of the level of anxieties within communities and also reiterated the importance of responding to the public consultation which adds value to the process.  Whereupon, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  to approve the contents of the Land Availability Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal for additional sites submitted between 1 August 2024 and 31 January 2025;

(b)  to agree that the Land Availability Assessments and Sustainability Appraisal for additional sites be published for public consultation for six weeks between 23 April and 4 June 2025; and

(c)  to grant delegated authority to the Head of Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Planning to make any necessary typographical or other minor changes to the document prior to its publication for consultation.

The Panel is invited to comment on the Land Availability Assessements and Sustainability Appraisal for Additional Sites submitted between 1 August 2024 and 31 January 2025 report.

Executive Councillor: T Sanderson

By means of a report by the Chief Planning Officer (a copy of which was appended in the Minute Book) the Land Availability Assessments and Sustainability Appraisal for Additional Sites Submitted Between 1st August 2024 and 31st January 2025 Report was presented to the Panel.

Councillor Chapman advised that several submissions had been made by St Neots Town Council for areas to be designated as green spaces and additionally a flood plain. The Panel heard that these submissions would be better suited to the St Neots Neighbourhood Plan and that the team had previously engaged with St Neots Town Council on numerous occasions as to how they could achieve this. In response to this, Councillor Chapman stated that he felt conflicting information relating to which plan these designations would be best suited to had been given over the past few years and reiterated his concern that given climate change the importance of the identified flood plain would be ever more important in protecting St Neots homes and residents from future flooding. The Panel were assured that this area could be recognised but through a different mechanism than the Land Availability Assessments. It was noted that Councillor Chapman’s concerns would be addressed and managed outside of the meeting.

The Panel heard that work had been done to improve how parish councils could submit their responses. It was noted that following lessons learned in previous rounds, the latest round of responses had been a more manageable quantity of information and that there had been improved signposting alongside a mix of communication methods. It was also confirmed that parishes would have a point of contact should there be an issue in the submission of their responses.

The Panel were advised, that a report detailing the communications plan as well as feedback from the consultation would be brought back to the Panel in due course.

Following the discussion, it was

RESOLVED

that Cabinet be encouraged to consider the comments from Overview and Scrutiny when making a decision upon the recommendations within the report.