Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being) Working Group.

Noted the outcome of a review by a Working Group appointed by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being) to examine concerns raised over the Loves Farm development in St Neots and to make recommendations to inform future developments.

(Councillor Mrs M Banerjee, Member of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel [Environmental Well-Being] was in attendance and spoke on this item.)

The Cabinet considered a report of a Working Group appointed by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) to examine concerns raised over the Loves Farm development in St Neots and to make recommendations to inform future developments.

It was reported that the Working Group had investigated various issues causing concern to residents living on the development over access routes to and within the site, the density of housing and prevalence of affordable housing.  In order to obtain an objective assessment from a planning prospective, a building for life assessment had been completed by the Working Group which rated the site as a 'silver' standard.

In reviewing the Working Group's recommendations, Executive Councillors noted four principal actions that would be introduced as part of the next phase of the development including better co-operation with the Highways Authority and the Environment Agency, improved targeted design policies in the New Local Plan and extra engagement with residents in neighbouring areas.

Having acknowledged the steps being undertaken to deal with residents' concerns and in thanking the Working Group for their efforts in producing a thorough and comprehensive report, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  that the contents of the report now submitted be noted.

To receive a report by the Design Principles for Future Developments Working Group.

Further to Minute No.11/50 and with the assistance of a report (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) Councillor Mrs M Banerjee acquainted the Panel with the outcome of the deliberations to date of the Working Group which had been established to examine concerns raised over the Loves Farm development in St Neots and to make recommendations to inform future developments.  Members’ attention was drawn to the fact that the Building for Life assessments, undertaken by the Working Group during a site visit to Loves Farm, had established that the site had been developed to a silver (good) standard. 

The Panel was informed that lessons from Loves Farm would inform future developments, particularly relating to phasing development and road construction.  Having regard to road adoption, Members were advised that the District Council was hoping to engage more effectively with the County Council to ensure that roads on future developments were acceptable to residents in terms of their design and standards.  Further to this, it was confirmed that standards relating to car parking allocations had changed.  The Planning Service Manager (Policy) reported that these standards together with those for dwelling sizes would be contained in the new Local Plan.  However, the Secretary of State had recently announced an urgent review into local and national standards with a view to rationalising them, which could affect the Council’s ability to influence such matters.

It was reported that a further meeting would be arranged between the Working Group and the Council’s Urban Design, Trees and Landscape Team Leader to discuss aspects of the Design Guide in more detail.