Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy on the Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area Character Assessment and Boundary Review.

Hardcopies of the Area Character Assessment and Boundary Review have been circulated to Members of the Cabinet only.

Approved the contents of the Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area Character Assessment and Conservation Area Boundary Review.

(Councillor A Williams, local ward Member, was in attendance and spoke on this item).

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) outlining the responses received to the consultation on the Character Assessment and Boundary Review for the Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area and suggested amendments as a consequence thereof.  The report had been presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being) whose comments were relayed to the Cabinet.

In reviewing the issues involved, the Cabinet considered a suggestion by Councillor Williams and the Panel that Area 2 of the map at Appendix 4 should be included in the Conservation Area.  It was explained that an appraisal indicated that this area did not meet the Conservation Area criteria.  The Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships and Projects) added that it was best practice to keep boundaries under review. In that respect, the Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning & Housing reassured Members that this was always the case for all conservation areas.

Having congratulated officers on the quality and high standard of the documents, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  that the Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area Character Assessment and Conservation Area Boundary Review, as appended to the report now submitted, be approved.

To consider a report by the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy.

Copies of the Boundary Review and Character Assessment documents are appended to Members’ copies only.  Hyperlinks to each document are as follows –

http://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/HDCCMS/Documents/Planning%20Documents/Conservation%20Areas/Houghton%20and%20Wyton%20Conservation%20Area%20Boundary%20Review.pdf

http://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/HDCCMS/Documents/Planning%20Documents/Conservation%20Areas/Houghton%20and%20Wyton%20Character%20Assessment.pdf

(Councillor A H Williams, Ward Councillor addressed the Panel on the matter.)

As part of the consultation process, the views of the Panel were requested on the content of draft documents on the proposed Boundary Review and Character Assessment for the Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area (copies of a report by the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy and the Consultation Documents are appended in the Minute Book).

By way of further explanation, the Executive Councillor for Planning and Housing Strategy, Councillor N J Guyatt added that the document had been prepared to fulfill an undertaking given in 2011 to Houghton and Wyton Parish Council following concerns expressed by that Council as to the ability of the adopted Core Strategy to protect the Parish area from inappropriate development.  The exercise also would be repeated over time elsewhere in the District to similarly protect other towns and villages from development.

The Panel noted that consultation on the Character Statement and Boundary Review proposals had been extended for eight weeks and had generated 26 responses which had been reviewed and assessed against the criteria for inclusion in a Conservation Area.  Appendix 3 to the report included a summary of the issues which had been raised and any amendments proposed to the documents.

As Ward Councillor, Councillor A H Williams was invited to address the Panel.  Whilst largely in agreement with the content of the documents, Councillor Williams drew attention to the objections raised by Houghton and Wyton and Hemingford Abbots Parish Councils to the status of Area 2 – the field to the East of Houghton Grange (BBSRC Field).  He pointed out the historic link between the field and Houghton and Wyton village, its contribution to the setting of the Conservation Area and the preliminary conclusions drawn in respect of the area during the 2007 Boundary Review.  In conclusion, Councillor Williams urged the Panel to include Area 2 within the boundary of the Conservation Area.  The Panel’s attention was drawn to paragraphs 5.6 – 5.8 of the report in response to the points raised by the speaker.  Members also were apprised of the outcome of debate on the matter at the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being). 

In drawing their conclusions, the Panel was mindful to ensure that inclusion of Area 2 would not undermine the soundness of the Conservation Area Documents.  Whilst it was essential to protect Houghton and Wyton Parish as a whole, the Panel was reminded that any applications for the site to the east of Houghton Grange would be subject to the planning process, at which stage, design and green space issues would be addressed. 

Having commended the quality of the documents and concluded that it was essential to be able to robustly meet any future legal challenge to the Conservation Area, the Panel

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the Cabinet be recommended to adopt the Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area Character Assessment and Boundary Review documents as Council Policy; and

  (b)  that consideration be given to the inclusion of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39

To consider a report by the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy on the Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area Character Assessment and Boundary Review.

Hardcopies of the Area Character Assessment and Boundary Review have been circulated to Members of the Panel only.

(Councillor N J Guyatt, Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and Housing, was in attendance for this Item.)

Councillor N J Guyatt introduced a report by the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) on the Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area Character Assessment and Boundary Review.  Members were advised that the Character Assessment and Boundary Review had been produced in compliance with an undertaking given to Houghton and Wyton Parish Council. If adopted there would be comprehensive Conservation Area coverage of green space in the Ouse Valley.

The Panel congratulated officers on the quality and high standard of the documents and drew attention to the fact that the size of the conservation area would increase by 30%.  Members discussed a suggestion that Area 2 of the map at Appendix 4 should be included in the Conservation Area.  The Head of Planning and Housing Strategy drew attention to the fact that an appraisal indicated that this area did not meet the Conservation Area criteria.  It was explained that, as a result, its inclusion might undermine the validity of the Character Assessment.  Members were assured that the Character Assessment was needed to reinforce the Urban Design Framework (UDF).  If the UDF was implemented, Area 2 would be of a standard that would make it eligible for inclusion in the Conservation Area.  Councillor I C Bates suggested that, in this case, the opportunity should be taken to include it at this stage.  However, given that this might undermine the ability of the Conservation Area Character Assessment to withstand a legal challenge, the Panel accepted that this matter should be re-visited once the obstacles to its inclusion had been removed.

RESOLVED

  that the Cabinet be recommended to –

  (a)  endorse the revised Houghton and Wyton Conservation Area Character Assessment and Conservation Area Boundary Review and adopt both documents; and

  (b)  re-visit the inclusion of Area 2 in the Conservation Area at the appropriate time.