Issue - meetings

To seek endorsement of the new directions for growth – local plan review document, revised local development scheme and statement of community involvement.

Attached is an extract from the minutes of the Scrutiny Commission where this item was considered.

Members gave consideration to the directions for growth – local plan review, the local development scheme and the statement of community involvement. During discussion, the following points were made:

·         The need to engage with parishes and parish councils. In response it was stated that discussions had already started with parish councils

·         The importance of maintaining a five year land supply, particularly in avoiding speculative applications

·         The problem of including minimum numbers of housing required as advised by government, but no maximum

·         The number of housing developments given planning permission but not being built, and the number of empty homes

·         The importance of developing the right type of houses

·         The need to distribute the consultation as widely as possible.

Some members felt that garden villages were not appropriate, whilst others felt they were preferable to sustainable urban extensions (SUEs). A member expressed concern that there did not appear to be any progress relating to delivery of the SUEs and suggested that the Scrutiny Commission be asked to review progress on them. The chairman of the Scrutiny Commission agreed to take this on board.

It was moved by Councillor Surtees and seconded by Councillor Hall that the recommendations within the report be approved. Councillor Bray along with four other councillors requested that voting on this motion be recorded. The vote was taken as follows:

Councillors Allen, Bessant, Boothby, Camamile, Cook, Hall, Kirby, Ladkin, Morrell, Nickerson, Roberts, Surtees, Sutton, Wallace, Ward and Williams voted FOR the motion (16);

Councillors Bill, Bray, Cartwright, Crooks, Hodgkins, Hollick, Nichols and Taylor voted AGAINST the motion (8).

Councillors Lay and O’Shea abstained from voting.

The motion was therefore declared CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED –

(i)            The Directions for growth – local plan review, revised statement of community involvement and revised local development scheme documents be endorsed;

(ii)           The undertaking of a period of consultation on the Directions for growth – local plan review, revised statement of community involvement and revised local development scheme documents be approved;

(iii)          Authority be delegated to the Director (Environment & Planning) in liaison with the relevant Executive member to make minor drafting / presentational changes to the documents in order to assist with clarification and/or explanation prior to it being published for consultation;

(iv)         Authority be delegated to the Director (Environment & Planning) in liaison with the relevant Executive member to amend the local development scheme timetable as required.

To seek endorsement of the report.

Members received the local plan review, local development scheme and statement of community involvement. It was noted that the process was for discussion, not the detail of the documents. It was acknowledged that if the council did not progress this matter, the government would be able to enforce it. Officers were thanked for their work on the documents and members noted that they would have the opportunity to discuss the options at the appropriate stage.

RESOLVED – the report be noted.