Councillor N J Guyatt, Deputy Executive Leader and Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and Housing to present.
Minutes:
In his role as Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Planning and Housing Strategy, Councillor N J Guyatt advised Members that it had been his intention to make a presentation to Council based on information to be provided by Cambridgeshire County Council. However, given the impending County Elections and the embargo on the release of sensitive data, the presentation would instead seek to confirm to Members the local plan process and timetabling following its formal submission to the Cabinet on 16th May 2013.
By reference to a powerpoint presentation, a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book, the Assistant Director, Environment, Growth and Planning, Mr S Ingram explained that the plan was based on four key themes – Economy, Housing, Infrastructure and Environment and that Stage 2 Consultation had been completed with approximately 1,200 representations having been received. Three hundred and fifty of these were comments on overall strategy, 270 on the development management policies, 200 on proposed development in the Huntingdon Spatial Planning Area and 150 on issues relating to key service centres and smaller settlements. Whilst, understandably, the representations contained some objections, the majority were generally supportive of the proposed strategy and the focus on growth in towns, larger villages and at strategic expansion locations. Mention was made of the opportunity for additional growth in the key service centres and smaller villages but this would require to be positively led by the community via a Neighbourhood Plan envisaged under the localism agenda.
In terms of key dates for the next stages of the process, Mr Ingram explained that Stage 3 to July 2013 was the last non-statutory stage and that it was essential for Members to engage in the process at this point and encourage their respective Town and Parish Councils to do likewise. Stages 4 – 8 would be completed more quickly to enable the local plan to be adopted by December 2014. Endorsing this request for Members to become involved, Councillor Guyatt urged the Council to indicate any support as well as any objection to the Local Plan. He added that the same messages would be delivered to Town and Parish Councils during training sessions on the Plan over the Summer.
In the questions which followed and in response to one from Councillor I C Bates, Mr Ingram explained that Government Guidance suggested that the Local Plan should be one document. However, he acknowledged that it would be essential to work with partners to seek to deliver appropriate infrastructure to manage, for instance, the potential development of the site at RAF Wyton. Mr Ingram reminded the Council that CIL and the Infrastructure Business Plan were critical policy documents and would be considered together with the Local Plan when assessing future development such as that suggested at RAF Wyton.
Referring to the key themes, Councillor S M Van De Kerkhove expressed concern that infrastructure had not appeared as a top priority in the powerpoint presentation given the impact of further development in St. Neots. In response, Mr Ingram clarified that the District Council had merely followed the order of themes suggested by the National Planning Policy Framework and whilst economic growth was key he understood the issues raised and underlined how essential it would be to continue to work with Partners to deliver the infrastructure required to support both economic and housing growth.
Lastly, Councillor M F Shellens drew attention to the potential impact on Town and Parish Councils of the intention to adopt the District Local Plan by December 2014. He explained that Town and Parish Councils would be eligible to receive 25% of CIL receipts but only in circumstances when a Parish Plan was in place but that this had to conform with the District Local Plan. Suggesting that this could not be achieved given the current timescale, Councillor Shellens asked whether the District Council would be in a position to offer compensation to Town and Parish Councils for any shortfall in funding. In recognising that it would be difficult for a local council to produce the Parish Plan in advance of the Local Plan, Mr Ingram encouraged local councils to work in parallel with the District Council at this time suggesting that there were cost/time benefits in doing so.
Actions:15 minutes