Issue - meetings

(Planning Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (LPC-002-2012/13).

(1)        Appendix 1, Issues & Options for the Local Plan, has been published to the website as a separate supplementary agenda as the report is 165 pages, and printed copies have been provided to the members of the Cabinet Committee and Group Leaders. If any other Member wishes to have their own printed copy then please contact Democratic Services by Wednesday 20 June 2012.

(2)        Appendix 3, the Sustainability Appraisal, will not be available until Thursday 21 June 2012 as it is yet to be received from the Consultants.

(1)        That the “Community Choices – Issues & Options” document be published for public consultation;

(2)        That the Portfolio Holder for Planning be authorised to agree any further minor amendments to the document which might be necessary prior to publication;

(3)        That the Sustainability Appraisal for the Issues & Options document prepared by Scott Wilson/URS be approved by the Portfolio Holder prior to publication as part of the consultation;

(4)        That the consultation period be commenced on Monday 30 July 2012 and run for 8 weeks until Friday 21 September 2012.; and

(5)        That the draft questions attached at Appendix 2 of the report, to guide responses to the consultation document, be agreed subject to any further comments being received by the Portfolio Holder for Planning or Officers prior to publication; and

(6)        That the Portfolio Holder for Planning be authorised to agree any further minor amendments to the draft questions prior to the commencement of the consultation period.

The Forward Planning Manager and Principal Planning Officer presented a report regarding the Issues and Options consultation for the Local Plan.

The Cabinet Committee noted that, following the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in March 2012, the Council was required to produce an up-to-date Local Plan. The Community Choices consultation document covered a wide range of issues including options for potential growth targets, possible distribution patterns and locations for growth. It also identified a number of policy issues that needed to be addressed, including Green Belt, historic and natural character, transport, economic development and the Community Infrastructure Levy. The consultation period had been proposed to run between 30 July and 21 September 2012.

The Forward Planning Manager reported that chapter four was the key section of the document and potentially the most controversial. This chapter presented the options for the levels of growth that could be included in the Local Plan and the possible strategies for the distribution of this growth. The Council was also under an obligation to take account of the East of England Plan, as it had not yet been abolished, and paragraph 47 of the National Planning Policy Framework, which required the Local Plan to include the assessed needs for market and affordable housing within the District. It was emphasised that this was not a policy document and that the intention was to protect the Green Belt in the District, but it was inevitable that some Green Belt land would have to be released for development in the future.

The Forward Planning Manager stressed that the Council was required to consider all reasonable options during the preparation of the Local Plan and thus more land had been identified for possible development in the document than would actually be required under any of the possible growth options. The proposed consultation was 30 July to 21 September, which Officers acknowledged was not ideal as it encompassed the principal holiday period, but was necessary to achieve the timely preparation of the Local Plan. However, the proposed consultation period was two weeks longer than the statutory minimum of six weeks. The consultation documentation would be published on the Council’s website, with hardcopies available for inspection at selected locations around the District – including the Civic Offices. A number of methods would be utilised to encourage the involvement of residents and stakeholders, including social media, mail shots, leaflets, and Road Shows. Respondents would be urged to submit their comments via the new, online response system.

The Principal Planning Officer reported that three different housing targets had been included in the consultation, ranging from 7,700 to 11,500 new homes within the District. In addition, two different employment targets for 3,960 and 3,917 new jobs had also been included. A number of different spatial options were outlined, including the effect of growth on the edge of Harlow within the District. A proportionate distribution pattern had been investigated, i.e. the largest settlements accommodate the largest growth, but it had quickly become  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6

(Director of Planning & Economic Development) To consider the attached report (LDF-003-2011/12).

The Principal Planning Officer presented a report on issues and options concerning the Core Planning Strategy.

The Cabinet Committee was advised that the Localism Bill currently being considered by the House of Lords was likely to cause significant further change in the way in which planning policy was developed at the local level, although the extent of further change was not yet clear.  Regional Strategies including the Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England (the East of England Plan) were to be abolished but until that time, continued to form part of the Development Plan for the District and had to be taken into account in preparing Local Development Frameworks.

Members noted that the Localism Bill also introduced Neighbourhood Plans to be prepared by town/parish councils and whilst there might be an expectation for District Council officers to support those councils in preparing such plans, priority would need to be given to the Core Planning Strategy in order to provide the strategic framework for Neighbourhood Plans.

The Principal Planning Officer reported that a draft single National Planning Policy Framework, replacing all the existing Planning Policy Guidance notes and Planning Policy Statements, had recently been published for consultation and would be submitted for consideration by members shortly.

The Cabinet Committee noted the progress being made on collating a robust evidence base to support the preparation of the Local Development Framework.  Attention was drawn to slippage in the timetable for the Local Development Scheme previously presented to the Cabinet Committee due to continued Government changes and staff losses in the Forward Planning Team.  Members were also advised that the expected further changes in national policy could have a significant impact on the preparation of the Local Development Framework.  In the light of this information, the Cabinet Committee considered whether a revised Local Development Scheme should be submitted to the Secretary of State at this time.

The Cabinet Committee considered initial draft vision, aims and objectives of the Core Planning Strategy drawn up following a public consultation exercise intended to determine what local residents considered to be the most important issues for the District.  Six aims and supporting objectives had been drawn up:

(i)         the protection and improvement of green spaces and the Green Belt, and protection of the character of the District;

(ii)        managing growth within the District;

(iii)       supporting the economy within the District;

(iv)       long term provision of housing;

(v)        the social aspects of managing growth; and

(vi)       movement in and around the District.

Members noted that the aims and objectives would be tested through the sustainability appraisal process, to assess whether they would lead to the most sustainable development possible.

The Principal Planning Officer reported that the Council had previously adopted an informal joint working arrangement at officer level with Harlow and East Herts District Councils in order to manage the growth of Harlow proposed in the East of England Plan.  The Cabinet Committee considered whether this approach should continue having regard to the forthcoming abolition  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11

(Director of Planning & Economic Development) To consider the attached report (LDF-023-2010/11).

The Senior Planning & Consultation Officer presented a report about the Issues and Options Consultation Strategy for the Local Development Framework.

The Strategy outlined the approach for engaging with key stakeholders, interested parties and the community during the Issues and Options stage of the Core Planning Strategy. The Strategy aimed to be: focused using both tested and innovative methods; an adopted format for Officers and the community to work with, and cost effective. The Council was committed to providing local communities with opportunities to shape the places in which they lived and had developed an approach to engagement designed to make this achievable. The Government had made it one of its priorities to give local people more influence in the decisions that affected their locality. The Government had abolished regional housing targets and it was now the responsibility of the Council to work with local communities to determine options for future development.

The Strategy had included lessons from the successful ‘Community Visioning’ exercise carried out from November 2010 to January 2011. The next stage built upon this with a ‘Community Choices’ exercise that sought the views of the local community on the planning issues facing the District and the most appropriate policy options for addressing them. The Issues and Options Consultation was scheduled to start in September 2011 for a period of 12 weeks and the results would be used to produce the Core Planning Strategy Preferred Options document in Spring 2012. The consultation and methods would be expanded upon to form the Council’s LDF Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). The Cabinet Committee was informed that the increased requirements to engage with local people would have a detrimental impact on the available Officer resources within Forward Planning.

In response to questions from the Members present, the Senior Planning & Consultation Officer stated that all Councillors would be included on the email distribution list for the Local Development Framework Newsletter. Neighbourhood Plans would have to link in with the Core Planning Strategy and Village Action Groups could contribute to the different consultations during the Core Planning Strategy process. The Ongar and North Weald Gazette was also being considered alongside the Epping Forest Guardian for advertising in, as well as the Everything Epping Forest website and any Parish Magazines.

The Assistant Director (Policy & Conservation) added that invitations would be issued to all Councillors for the Stakeholder Options Workshops, as well those Councils adjacent to the District. The Council was awaiting further guidance from the Government on the process to be followed in producing Neighbourhood Plans, such as consultation methods and evidence gathering procedures. Any work undertaken by town or Parish Councils to date on Neighbourhood Plans could still be fed into the District’s Core Planning Strategy.

The Cabinet Committee welcomed the Strategy and suggested that Roydon should be moved from the Rural Communities area to be included with Waltham Abbey and Nazeing, whilst North Weald could also be added as a location. The workshop schedules should incorporate a variety of times and days  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65