Agenda item

To receive an update on the Huntingdonshire Local Plan To 2036.

With the aid of a report by the Planning Service Manager (Policy) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel was informed of the update to the Local Plan to 2036. Members were advised that progress on the Local Plan had slowed, due in part to the need for strategic transport modelling, which was needed in particular to assess the transport effects of the proposed housing allocation at Wyton Airfield.

The Panel’s attention was drawn to item 1.2 of the report which stated that the Government required Local Plans “to be written” by early 2017 and the consequence of not doing so was that the Government would intervene to arrange for the Local Plan to be written for Huntingdonshire. The Government had yet to clarify what the meaning of “to be written” however to ensure that the Government does not take over the writing of Huntingdonshire’s Local Plan, these statements should be interpreted as a requirement to submit the proposed Local Plan to the Government by March 2017.

With regards to the key evidence items needed to progress the Local Plan, Members were advised that the Council had been working with Cambridgeshire County Council to progress the traffic modelling. A new Strategic Flood Risk Assessment for the District was also required; flood risk data was expected from the Environment Agency in December 2015, which would form the core evidence behind this study.

Members were informed that the Council would be exploring the identification of a supply of sites for years 1-10, alongside continuing to develop the current approach to the Local Plan which identified a supply for years 1-15.  If the traffic impacts of development at Wyton Airfield had not been resolved using the transport modelling in time to submit the Local Plan by the early 2017 deadline, the Council would consider whether to submit a Plan including the 10 year supply of sites, excluding in particular the allocation of Wyton Airfield. This approach would require a commitment to an early review of the Plan.

If the 10 year Plan approach was adopted, Officers would need to assess whether additional sites would be needed to make up a 10 year housing supply. Members were reassured by the suggestion that the Council would consult again in 2016 on proposed allocations, including consulting on additional sites required to make up any deficit in supply created by the removal of Wyton Airfield allocation.

Members were advised that Wyton Airfield remained part of the Council’s development strategy and was likely to be developed at some point in the future, not least because of its part in the Government’s land disposal programme. Removing the site’s allocation under a 10 year plan approach would be entirely driven by the need to meet the Government’s proposed deadline.

The Panel were advised that Local Plans were required to demonstrate that that sufficient infrastructure would be provided to meet the needs of planned development. This was different to earlier planning rules where it was assumed that such infrastructure would be provided when development took place. Members were pleased to note the inclusion of infrastructure planning within the Local Plan.

The Panel was concerned that the Government did not seem to know how they would like to progress with Local Plans as there is no clear steer. Members were advised that the Government had been trying to attempt to improve the economy through development and see Local Plans as a means to do this. However there appeared to be little understanding within the Government on why developments take time to progress, for reasons such as resident opposition and developers not building on land which had permission for development.

In response to a question regarding Neighbourhood Plans, the Panel were advised that the Neighbourhood Plans had been considered as supplementary planning documents, once ‘made’ Neighbourhood Plans would become part of the adopted Development Plan. The Panel expressed their agreement with having a twin tracked approach- exploring the 10 year Local Plan option, although indicated a preference for a 15 year Local Plan. In doing so, the Panel,

RESOLVED

a)  that the Government’s new timescales for the Local Plan preparation process be noted;

b)  that progress on the preparation of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 be noted; and

c)  that the proposed way forward as outlined in paragraph 3.8 of the report is submitted to be endorsed.