Issue - meetings

To provide an update on preparation of submission of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 and its supporting evidence base and to agree the approach regarding the revalidated Cambridge Sub-Regional Model for the Strategic Transport Study.

i.  Notes progress on preparation of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 and its supporting evidence base, including confirmation that the Core Strategy (2009) meets the Government’s requirement to have a submission Local Plan by March 2017, and the update in relation to highways and transport infrastructure projects;

ii.  Endorses the use of approach B as detailed in paragraph 4.3 of the Officer’s report (the revalidated Cambridge Sub-Regional Model for the Strategic Transport Study (CSRM)) as follows:

‘Priority is to develop a defensible transport evidence base: this would involve waiting for the revalidated CSRM to be available which could provide forecasts up to 2041 if required and would be based on an up-to-date data set. This would form a more robust evidence base for the Local Plan Examination and be less susceptible to challenge from developers. Preliminary work could be undertaken in the short-term but this approach would necessitate delaying modelling the four development scenarios until the revalidation work on the CSRM is completed; checking to test accuracy for the Huntingdonshire area could be incorporated within the scope of the Strategic Transport Study.’; and

iii.  Request that Cambridgeshire County Council provides an explanation as to why the Highway work is delayed and provide absolute assurances that they will commit to the amended timescales.

By way of a report from the Head of Development (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet received a progress update on preparation of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 (HLP2036), its supporting evidence base and highlighted the risks arising from delays to the Strategic Transport Study and the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA).  The Cabinet were informed that the Council had received confirmation that the Council had met the Government deadline for ‘writing’ a Local Plan by March 2017.

Subsequent to the publication of the agenda the Cabinet had been provided with the comments from the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economy and Growth) meeting and an addendum as the following paragraph had been omitted from the report between paragraphs 5.2 - A428: Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Improvement and 5.3 - A1: Oxford to Cambridge Expressway and East West Rail:

‘A1: M25 to Peterborough.

The Department for Transport (DfT) and Highway England are taking this forward with Stakeholders, including Huntingdonshire District Council, as one of six Strategic Studies across England. Options and ideas are currently being developed with partners and this will culminate in a range of recommendations emerging from DfT by the end of 2016, with preferred options published for community consultation and engagement. Discussions to date have included the potential need for a new offline route, including at Buckden, to address current delays, congestion and safety issues as well as tying into the emerging Oxford to Cambridge Expressway scheme. Any final outcomes will inform the Government Roads Investment Strategy 2 and subject to a scheme approval, this could be delivered as part of Roads Period 2 from April 2020 onwards.’

The report provided updates on each element of the evidence base currently under preparation.  It was explained that continuing delays in the availability of the revalidated Cambridge Sub-Regional Model (CSRM) meant that a robust Strategic Transport Study was unable to be completed by the date necessary to deliver the HLP2036 to the timeline anticipated in the Local Development Scheme (LDS). The CSRM was a fundamental element of the evidence base necessary to demonstrate that the preferred development strategy was deliverable.  Cambridgeshire County Council had advised that the revalidation work was not expected to be completed until the end of June 2016 and would then require further checks to test its accuracy.

It was also explained that difficulties in obtaining information from the Environment Agency necessary to complete the SFRA had also impacted on the timeline for preparation of the HLP2036 as suitability and deliverability of site specific allocations were unable to be confirmed.

Detailed in the Officer’s report was an amended timetable for the preparation of the HLP2036 which had been amended to demonstrate the currently anticipated timescales following the delays in the availability of the CSRM.  It was anticipated that the submission of the HLP2036 to the Secretary of State would now be November 2017.

In response to a question regarding the development of a railway station at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15

The Panel is to receive the Huntingdonshire Local Plan To 2036 Quarterly Update and the Infrastructure Planning Update.

With the aid of a report by the Head of Development (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), updates on the Huntingdonshire Local Plan To 2036 Quarterly Update and Infrastructure Planning Update were presented to the Panel.

Members were informed that the Council has received clarity in regards to what the Government means by adopting a written local plan by March 2017 and that the Council’s existing Core Strategy meets the requirement. This therefore means that the March 2017 deadline does not apply to the District.

However, the Panel was advised that, as the Core Strategy pre-dates the introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework in 2012, a later deadline of March 2018 would have to be met.

The Panel noted that the Council has a timetable for the Local Plan but that the timescales have slipped because of a delay with the revalidation of the Cambridge Sub-Regional Model (CSRM) traffic model by consultants for Cambridgeshire County Council. The CSRM was expected to be complete by May 2016 but is now expected to be complete at the end of June 2016 and it will then require further checking.

The Panel was asked to consider two options in relation to the CSRM. Option A would involve continuing to work on the Local Plan using the old CSRM model. Option B is to pause work on the Local Plan until the County Council has provided the revalidated CSRM.

In response to a question regarding the Environment Agency, the Panel was informed that the Council is awaiting the Lower Great Ouse Flood Model. Members noted that the Council is engaging with the Environment Agency at a senior level in order to get the model completed.

A Member asked how the Local Plan would affect specific locations as well as the Market Town Strategy. In response, Members were advised that the Council requires a revalidated CSRM model in order to predict what would happen in individual towns and villages throughout the District.

Members were reminded that the CSRM helps to establish what the provision of roads should be rather than the maintenance of roads. It was asked if some thought could be given to future proofing the provision of road lanes and the Panel was advised that the CSRM would determine how many lanes should be provided.

Following a question regarding the consideration of the flood risk at the northern end of the District, the Panel noted that the Environment Agency is a statutory consultee and if the Council was not following the advice from the Environment Agency then there are extra steps that would be required to be taken.

The Panel agreed that, out of the two options presented to them, the Cabinet should endorse Option B to wait for the revalidated CSRM to be made available. Members noted that it would not benefit the Council to work with a flawed model as the outcomes from the model would also be flawed. This is what would happen if Option A  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9