Agenda item

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 Alconbury Weald, it was explained that this proposal was being progressed as Urban&Civic had devised a Business Plan for submission and that it was a project which was part of the 2021 – 2026 funding window.

Regarding the Gypsy and Traveller Needs Assessment it was explained that a county wide assessment was being coordinated which would provide each authority with the amount of Gypsy and Traveller need that would be required.  Due to delays in obtaining more detailed information from some partner authorities had resulted in the completion of the report being unlikely until early July.  Once completed the Council would be able to devise a Gypsy and Traveller Needs Policy.

Regarding the delays from consultees, the Cabinet expressed disappointment and frustration as the Council was committed to producing the certainty for all that a new adopted Local Plan would provide.  Having considered the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel, the Cabinet requested that Cambridgeshire County Council provides an explanation as to why the Highway work was delayed and provide absolute assurances that they would commit to the amended timescales.  Whereupon the Cabinet,

RESOLVED

  i.  to note 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) 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.