Issue - meetings

Councillor R Fuller, Deputy Executive Leader and Executive Member for Housing and Planning to present Huntingdonshire’s Local Plan to 2036: Proposed Submission 2017.

(The report has been considered at a Meeting of the Cabinet held earlier in the evening. The recommendations of which will be reported verbally at the meeting).

A copy of the draft Plan has been circulated separately to all Members of the Council and is available on the District Council’s website.

(See Minute No. 43 for Members’ interests).

In conjunction with a report by the Planning Service Manager (Growth) and PowerPoint presentation (copies of which are appended in the Minute Book)  Councillor R Fuller, Deputy Executive Leader and Executive Councillor for Housing and Planning addressed the Council on an update on the Local Plan process and timeline of the Local Plan preparation.

Members were appraised with details of the Member engagement process and workshops undertaken with Town and Parish Councils. Following the conclusion of the consultation on the draft Local Plan in August 2017 and further consultation on the ‘call for sites’ that sought submissions of additional sites for potential residential development, a series of amendments had been incorporated into the proposed submission.

Councillor Fuller drew Members attention to three main differences between the consultation draft and proposed submission draft of the Local Plan and explained that all had been considered by the cross party Development Plan Advisory Group. He explained that there had been a revision to the definition of built-up areas to allow for more organic development, changes to the Renewable Energy Police to accept wind energy development in principle and allowed the allocation of 12 additional sites providing an additional 898 dwellings.

In providing a summary of the proposed additional housing allocation sites, Councillor Fuller advised Members that he had been made aware of concerns expressed by ward councillors in relation to the proposed allocation in Bluntisham and explained that although the site had been allocated, this did not signify the intention to develop. He further explained that it was necessary for the Council to allocate a demonstrable five year land supply for the future to enable the Council to control and manage its development.

Councillor Fuller stressed the importance of proceeding to the Regulation 19 stage of the process, namely publication of the plan for representations to be made to enable the timeframe to be achieved for submission of the Local Plan to the Secretary of State on or before the 31st March 2018 before the revised framework for a standardised methodology for calculating Objectively Assessed Need is published and introduced. The impact of which on Huntingdonshire’s housing need would require the provision of an additional 5,000 homes by 2036.

In response to a question by Councillor B S Chapman on confidence in the population figures used in the Local Plan following his perceived differences in population in the spatial planning areas as calculated by Cambridgeshire Insight compared with the figures contained in the Local Plan, Councillor Fuller reassured Councillor Chapman that he was confident that the figures had been correct and suggested that if he had had concerns this should have been raised at the Regulation 18 consultation stage.

In thanking Councillor Fuller for his clear and concise appraisal of the Local Plan, Councillor P D Reeve indicated his parties’ intention to vote against the Local Plan decision and referred to the additional 12 sites and although no automatic right of planning permission, he outlined his  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45

To consider a report by the Planning Service Manager seeking endorsement for the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036: Proposed Submission.

A copy of the draft Plan has been circulated separately to all Members of the Council and is available on the District Council’s website.

(Executive Councillor: Cllr R Fuller)

To recommend to Council that the recommendations within the report are endorsed, supporting the Huntingdonshire Local Plan 2036: Proposed Submission 2017.

To endorse the Local Development Scheme: December 2017, as detailed at Appendix B of the report now submitted, be endorsed.

Consideration was given to a report by the Planning Service Manager (Growth) to which was appended The Huntingdonshire Local Plan 2036: Proposed Submission 2017 (HLP) and The Policies Map (copies of which are appended in the Minute Book). Members were presented with an overview of the HLP Proposed Submission 2017 by the Executive Councillor for Housing and Planning by means of a PowerPoint presentation and Members attention was drawn to a number of corrections to the proposed submission (copies of which are appended in the Minute Book).

The presentation illustrated the key differences between the Consultation Draft 2017 and Proposed Submission Draft along with a timeline of Local Plan preparation. A number of proposed additional allocations were also detailed along with the assessed capacity of each site and Executive Councillors were reassured that appropriate Ward Councillors had been consulted as part of the preparation. It was acknowledged that local residents had been in contact with Executive Councillors with concerns regarding Bluntisham and that this may result in further representations made during the consultation period.

The Cabinet expressed gratitude and recognition to those Officers involved in the preparation of the document for the hard work, dedication and professionalism shown. Whereupon it was

RESOLVED

a)  that the Council be recommended to support the recommendations within the report, supporting the Huntingdonshire Local Plan 2036: Proposed Submission 2017; and

b)  that the Local Development Scheme: December 2017, as detailed at Appendix B of the report now submitted, be endorsed.

The Panel are to receive a report on the Local Plan and the proposed submission consultation.

(Members, please note that a copy of the Council report and the appendices have been circulated to you separately. Please remember to bring them to the meeting.)

With the aid of a report by the Planning Service Manager (Growth) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Local Plan: Proposed Submission Consultation was presented to the Panel.

The Executive Councillor for Housing and Planning explained to Members that the Regulation 18 consultation concluded in August 2017, as well as the Call for Sites consultation which ran alongside it. The Executive Councillor is proposing that the Council agrees that the Local Plan proceeds to the Regulation 19 stage of the process, which tests the soundness and legality of the Local Plan.

The Panel was informed of the key differences between Consultation Draft 2017 and the Proposed Submission Draft, which were: a revision to definition of built-up; changes to Renewable Energy Policy as the previous policy position to restrict wind farms received no support from Parishes, companies or residents. The new position is that all areas in the District, with the exception of Great Fen, is available for wind farm applications; in the proposed submission draft there are an extra 12 sites allocated totalling 898 additional dwellings.

Members were asked to consider whether they wanted a Local Plan which updated previous policies and improves the ability for the Council to plan for development. The Executive Councillor reminded the Panel that if there was a delay to the submission of the Local Plan then the Council would have to plan for an additional 5000 houses.

The Executive Councillor wanted to put on record his thanks to the planning team for producing the Local Plan.

In response to the question, what are the risks to the Council in terms of challenge, the Executive Councillor informed Members that there is always a risk however, if the Council can demonstrate that it has a five year land supply, then it is in a better position to defend planning refusals. The Panel was informed that in terms of, has the Council gone through the right process, then yes. The Executive Councillor added that developers might be less than happy that their site wasn’t allocated and that he won’t be surprised to receive challenge in the next stage. The Planning Services Manager added that if the inspector states that a modification is required than they will invite the Council to make the modification.

The Panel was informed that through the Local Plan, the Council are stating that the site allocations are suitable for development however it isn’t giving permission for development. Each planning application would have to come before the Council’s Development Management Committee.

Following a question regarding Local Service Centres and has the Council made a robust check to ensure that they have made the right decision, the Panel was informed that the Members of Development Plan Policy Advisory Group (DPPAG) had looked into the issue thoroughly and are content with the outcome.

In regards to the two additional sites in Bluntisham, the Panel was informed that those sites have already been subject to planning applications and have therefore been included  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36