Minutes:
Councillor G J Bull, Executive Councillor for Planning, Housing and Infrastructure addressed the Council on a planning update. A copy of Councillor Bull’s PowerPoint presentation is appended in the Minute Book.
Councillor Bull welcomed Ms C Kerr, Development Management Team Leader, to the meeting to support him in his presentation. Members received an update on the Local Plan timeline with expected public consultation commencing in May/June 2017 and submission to the Planning Inspectorate in November 2017 and final adoption estimated mid-2019. The Council were appraised with further detail of the key challenges identified prior to submission, including demonstrating deliverability, identification of sites sufficient to provide five years’ worth of housing against need and the provision of infrastructure with the accompanying funding to support the growth package.
Members noted that key supporting evidence was still required prior to its submission, importantly the Strategic Transport Study being jointly commissioned with Cambridgeshire County Council and the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, both reports not expected until early 2017. Councillor Bull paid tribute to Ms Kerr and her Team of Officers working on the Local Plan.
The Council received an update on the Neighbourhood Plans in the District and attention was drawn to the Houghton and Wyton Neighbourhood Plan where discussions were still being undertaken following receipt of the Examiners Report.
In concluding, Councillor Bull provided a summary of the average officer caseload in dealing with planning applications which represented an increase of 254 total applications compared with last year and statistics in relation to Development Management.
In response to a question from Councillor M F Shellens on any such contingency plans for the five year supply of housing and the timescale for the Strategic Transport Study (STS), Councillor Bull explained that alternative sites were currently being investigated and a full time person had been appointed to ensure the timescale for the STS would be achieved.
Councillor J P Morris raised a question in relation to the provision of investment in cycling infrastructure in future years and the ability to improve the provision across the District to increase the number of young people cycling to school. In response, Councillor Bull explained that the Council had previously financially partnered Cambridgeshire County Council with the delivery of a number of walking and cycling schemes across the District until the capital budget was removed in 2012. Work was still being undertaken with the County Council in the development of the Strategic Transport Study to support the Local Plan and it was understood that the County Council would be developing a Transport Strategy for the District in 2017 to replace the existing Market Town Transport Strategy, both covering cycling and walking needs across the District.
Councillor Bull referred to Councillor J M Palmer, Executive Councillor for Leisure and Health to provide a further response, whereby he explained that from a healthy lifestyle perspective the One Leisure Active Lifestyle Team was committed to increasing physical activity across the District and referred to the Pedals Project delivered at Hinchingbrooke County Park using adaptive cycles for individuals with physical difficulties, as well as a significant investment on the Cyclone indoor cycles at One Leisure to encourage people to start cycling.
In response to a question from Councillor D A Giles on the number of planning applications not determined within the prescribed timeframe, Ms Kerr reported that the figure was likely to be very low and undertook to provide an answer following the meeting.