Issue - meetings

(A copy of the Submission Core Strategy 2008 is enclosed with Members’ agenda only.)

Councillor I C Bates, Leader and Chairman of the Cabinet, represented the Report of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 24th April, 15th May and 12th June 2008.

Upon being put to the vote, the recommendation contained in Item No. 1 was declared CARRIED.

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In connection with Item No. 2 and in response to a question from Councillor W T Clough, the Leader, Councillor Bates. replied that all Members of the Cabinet received the special responsibility allowance to which they were entitled under the current Members’ Allowances scheme.

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In connection with Item No. 7 and in response to a question from Councillor P J Downes, the Leader, Councillor Bates, acknowledged, the complexity in monitoring the new Local Area Agreement (LAA) but indicated that a seminar on the LAA, Local Strategic Partnership, Sustainable Community Strategy and Comprehensive Area Agreement to be held on 24th July 2008 to which all Councillors would be invited, would assist Members’ understanding of the process.

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In connection with Item No. 10 and in response to a question from Councillor G S E Thorpe, the Leader, Councillor Bates, undertook to provide an explanation in writing as to the meaning of a “two factor authentication system” as part of the flexible working project for staff.

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In connection with Item No. 13 and in response to a question from Councillor Mrs M Banerjee, the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy and Transport, Councillor P L E Bucknell indicated that he anticipated that regional guidance on the development of additional housing growth in sustainable ways would be issued shortly by the Government Office for the East of England.

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In connection with Item No. 15 and in response to a question from Councillor P G Mitchell, the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy and Transport, Councillor P L E Bucknell, advised that the District Council would seek, through development at Mayfield Road, Huntingdon, to establish a standard for the delivery of high energy efficiency housing schemes.

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In connection with Item No. 20, the Deputy Leader, Councillor L M Simpson, announced that Councillors Mrs B E Boddington and J J Dutton had been appointed to the vacant posts of “Champion” for Training and for Oxmoor respectively.

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Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

  that, subject to the foregoing paragraphs, the Report of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 24th April, 15th May and 12th June 2008 be received and adopted.

To consider a report by the Planning Policy Manager

  subject to a legal audit of the Strategy, recommended the Local Development Framework Core Strategy to full Council for approval and authorised the Head of Planning Services, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy and Transport, to approve any minor textual amendments to the documents including a reference in the Spatial Vision Document to reflect the value of agriculture to the land economy.

Further to Minute No. 07/191 and by way of a report by the Head of Planning Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet were invited to consider the content of the submission document for the Core Strategy prior to its approval by Council for formal submission to the Secretary of State.  Changes to the Core Strategy had been recommended in March 2007, by Go-East and the Planning Inspectorate, to reflect the latest emerging guidance regarding the spatial content of the document.

Members were reminded that the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Support) had considered the new submission document at their meeting on 10th June 2008.  With regard to the Panel’s concerns that the proposed policies failed to recognise fully the importance of the role of agriculture to the local economy and local land use, Executive Councillors felt it would be appropriate to make reference to this in the Spatial Vision document.  Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

  (a)  that, subject to a legal audit of the Strategy and the changes referred to in paragraph 5 of the report now submitted, the Local Development Framework Core Strategy be submitted to full Council for approval; and

  (b)  that the Head of Planning Services be authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy and Transport, to approve any minor textual amendments to the documents including a reference in the Spatial Vision Document to reflect the value of agriculture to the land economy.

To consider the submission document for the Core Strategy prior to its consideration by the Cabinet.

(A copy of Huntingdonshire District Council / Core Strategy – Submission Version – Volume One has been circulated separately with the agenda. Please retain for future meetings).

(Councillor P L E Bucknell, Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy and Transport was in attendance for this Item).

A report by the Head of Planning Services was presented (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) summarising the stages in the process towards approval of the Core Strategy by the Council in June 2008. Members were informed that since the despatch of the agenda there had been a number of minor amendments to the wording of the Strategy to incorporate the comments of the Development Plan Policy Advisory Group.

The Head of Planning Services explained that the Core Strategy was the primary, over-arching document that guided and enabled the strategy for the future growth and development of Huntingdonshire.  Planning strategy at a regional level was set by the East of England Plan which had recently been published.  Once the Core Strategy had been submitted to the Secretary of State, it would be subject to examination by an independent Inspector to assess whether it met the tests of soundness.

In discussing the report, the Panel expressed their support for the proposed policies within the submission document.  However concerns were expressed that insufficient importance had been paid to the role of agriculture in the local economy and as a local land use. Members referred to recent world food shortages and a growth in the use of bio-fuels which had increased the demand for agricultural crops. Members were of the opinion that the Core Strategy had failed to recognise the emergence of these trends in recent months, for example by referring within the Core Strategy to the historic role of agriculture and food production in Huntingdonshire. Although the Strategy placed emphasis on the need for strategic green space enhancement, concerns were expressed at the possible implication that access and enjoyment of the countryside might be regarded as more important than the contribution that agriculture made to the local economy and wider market.  With this in mind, Members suggested that a change in wording and emphasis to retain the value of local agriculture in the Core Strategy would be advisable and helpful. 

In response to a number of questions, the Head of Planning Services explained that environmental limits might need to be introduced at a later date for the market towns and some of the key settlements to indicate areas of significant change. Members were also informed that the future potential of Alconbury Airfield would need to be considered in the longer term as part of the next review of the Regional Spatial Strategy. Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

  that the report be endorsed and the Cabinet be informed of the Panel’s views on the matter as outlined above.