Agenda item

(Director of Neighbourhoods) to consider the attached report.

The Assistant Director Planning and Economic Development, Ms Polyzoides along with the Planning Consultant, Ms Blom-Cooper introduced the report updating the Committee on the Local Plan. The draft polices had been developed in close and regular consultation with key stakeholders including Members (District and Parish) and officers at a series of workshops. The draft Local Plan set out the Council’s preferred approach to development in the District for the period up to 2033 including the amount of new homes and jobs that the plan sought to achieve. The purpose of the Plan was to deliver the vision and objectives for the District whilst contributing to sustainable development as described in the National Planning Policy Framework to achieve economic, environmental and social progress. This meant taking a balanced approach to meeting the needs of existing and future residents, businesses and visitors, whilst protecting and enhancing the natural and historic environment and built heritage and addressing the impacts of a changing climate. 

The Draft Local Plan set out:

·      The Council’s vision and objectives for the District’s development over the plan period;

·      Policies to ensure that development delivers high quality, sustainable homes, drive the quality of design and maintain our high quality built and natural environment;

·      The future distribution for housing growth and requirements for affordable housing;

·      Policies to build a strong, competitive economy and the future distribution for new employment land space and thus new jobs;

·      Policies to maintain and enhance the vibrancy and vitality of our towns centres;

·      Policies to support a sustainable transport and road infrastructure network; and

·      Proposals for delivery including a draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) to demonstrate the infrastructure requirements necessary to support the site allocations and other proposals.

The full Council on the 18^th October agreed that the Draft Local Plan be subject to a six week statutory consultation from 31^st October to 12^th December 2016. The draft Local Plan could be accessed on our website. This was a one stop shop so stakeholders could find the relevant information quickly, whilst accessing the technical detail if they were interested in further reading. Feedback has been that the website was easy to use and the questionnaire was straightforward and stakeholders were being urged to use this platform to submit their responses.

Each Member had received a Members Briefing Pack, which provided a guide to the Draft Local Plan and the consultation. An increased effort had been made to promote the consultation via social media. Where appropriate officers were using social media to address any major misconceptions or issues associated with the draft Local Plan.

The local public exhibitions have been well attended with approximately 259 people attending the North Weald one, 207 at Loughton, 238 at Chipping Ongar, 125 Waltham Abbey and 277 at Epping. The local plan was difficult to navigate but the exhibitions helped. Following these, officers were now getting questionnaires back on line and also some by post. They were expecting a surge in submissions towards the end of the consultation period.

Officers would look at all the responses and process them into a finished document for publication and publish it under Regulation 19. This would be the document that the Council considered was ready for examination. In the meantime decision makers could give weight to the relevant policies in emerging plans according to the stage of preparation of the emerging plan – the more advanced the preparation, the greater the weight that could be given – in accordance with paragraph 216 of the National Planning Policy Framework. The Council has agreed that some weight can now be given to the Draft Local Plan when determining planning applications.

The Director of Neighbourhoods, Mr Macnab commented that he had attended all the local exhibitions and had detected common themes. A lot of people had no awareness that a lot of the sites had been promoted by private landowners or thought that the District Council had acquired these sites to its advantage. Also a lot of issues raised were around the lack of infrastructure, such as GP surgeries, schools and transport. However, it had been a generally successful process.

Councillor Rolfe noted that the numbers of people attending the exhibitions were not that many compared to the interest shown before. They also seem to have missed the bit that asked them to present a coherent argument when arguing against any part of the Plan. All they generally say was that they did not want it.

Councillor Whitehouse asked what would happen at the end of the consultation, how could you access them and who would make the decisions? Councillor Philip said that for any new sites they would use the same criteria to judge them as they used now. How we worked through them was still to be decided. All members would be kept informed on a regular basis and as a Council we would publish this updated plan under Regulation 19.

Councillor Kane noted that there was work to be done on employment sites; was there more work to be done on infrastructure? Ms Blom-Cooper replied that there was still work to be done on employment and the sites identified, with an update to be carried out in terms of supply. All sites in the draft Local Plan would go through the assessment process and then through various workshops. As for infrastructure, the draft plan was looking to identify the current gaps. More detailed work was to be undertaken as the inspector would need to see it.

Councillor Neville commented that in the Members Briefing Pack an easy guide on what reasons we needed to use was promised, but it was not there.  Councillor Philip said that they had not promised to give all reasons, but we did give examples. Ms Blom-Cooper added that he should look at the criteria used to take the various sites into account. Ms Polyzoides added that he could see online various reasons why we did not chose a particular site. This was very useful.

Councillor Lion asked about traffic surveys in the district and if there were any benchmarking exercise that would be used. Ms Blom-Cooper said that there was a baseline survey carried out in 2013 that would be used. They would also need to look at local sites and theses would be commissioned soon. Councillor Philip added that there was also a high level survey carried out around Harlow.

Councillor Patel commented on the type and specifications of the housing that came forward and noted from his health and wellbeing board and a survey on housing adaptions and how they would work in the policy. Ms Blom-Cooper said they would be working with the land owners and would have a specification in the draft Local Plan on this. Councillor Philip said that the SHMA (Strategic Housing Market Area) went into what sort of delivery was needed. This would be set out in the SHMA and on the population projections. Councillor Patel responded that with spending cuts, was category 2 a sufficient level we should be working at or should we be working at a wider level. Ms Blom-Cooper said they would be considering a wider level and would look at the viability of the plans as they took it through. Mr Macnab added that as part of the House Building Programme they would be looking to build up to these standards. 

RESOLVED:

That the update on the Draft Local Plan (public consultation) was noted.