Agenda, decisions and minutes

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Contact: Sandra Dessent, tel: 01372 732121  email:  sdessent@epsom-ewell.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

36.

Question Time

To take any questions from members of the the Public

 

Please note:  Members of the Public are requested to inform the Democratic Servicers Officer before the meeting begins if they wish to ask a verbal question to the Committee.

Decision:

No questions were received from members of the public.

Minutes:

No questions were received from members of the public.

37.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests in respect of any item of business to be considered at the meeting.

Decision:

No declarations of interest were made by Councillors in items on the agenda for this meeting.

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were made by Councillors in items on the agenda for this meeting.

38.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 97 KB

The Committee is asked to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 15 November 2018 (attached) and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.


Minutes:

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee held on 15 November 2018 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

The Committee noted that Minute 34 (Epsom & Ewell Local Plan: Longmead & Nonsuch Industrial Estates Capacity Study) recorded that confirmation of boundary markings and ownership of Fairview Road to opposite Windmill Lane would be reported back to Members of the Committee, but that this had not yet been done. Officers would look into this matter and provide the relevant information to Members following the meeting.

39.

Animal Welfare Regulations 2018 pdf icon PDF 87 KB

A report to inform the Committee of the Animal Welfare Regulations and process for appeals under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Decision:

It was resolved:

That the Committee:

(1)  Noted the introduction of new regulations and appeals channels;

(2)  Delegated to the Head of Service the determination of licence applications, all matters relating thereto and appeals relating to star ratings.

 

Minutes:

The Committee received a report informing it of new Animal Welfare Regulations and appeals channels under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The Licensing, Grants & Home Improvement Agency Manager informed the Committee of an amendment to recommendation 2 of the report, to read: “Delegate to the Head of Service the determination of licence applications, all matters relating thereto and appeals relating to star ratings”.

Following consideration, it was resolved:

That the Committee:

(1)   Noted the introduction of new regulations and appeals channels;

(2)   Delegated to the Head of Service the determination of licence applications, all matters relating thereto and appeals relating to star ratings.

 

40.

Epsom & Ewell Local Plan: Urban Capacity Study pdf icon PDF 112 KB

The Committee is asked to note the contents of the Urban Housing Capacity Study as a technical study and part of the Council’s evidence base, which informs the preparation of the new Local Plan.

Additional documents:

Decision:

It was resolved:

(1)      That the Committee noted the contents of the Urban Housing Capacity Study as a technical study and part of the Council’s evidence base, which informs the preparation of the new Local Plan.

 

Minutes:

The Committee received a report presenting an Urban Housing Capacity Study (UHCS) which had been prepared to assess the potential optimal capacity of the Borough’s land supply within the urban area, and how this could contribute towards meeting the Borough’s challenging Objectively Assessed Housing Need (OAHN).

The following matters were considered:

a)            Conclusions of Urban Housing Capacity Study. The Committee noted that the identified need for the Borough was unlikely to delivered in its entirety within its urban area during the new Local Plan period. The UHCS suggested that at optimum performance, 49% of the housing need could be accommodated within the urban area.

b)            Clarification requested on Table 4. Members of the Committee identified that Table 4 of the UHCS indicated that the identified need calculated by the ‘standard method’ calculation is being used from 2015 onwards, despite not emerging from Government policy until 2017. Members of the Committee expressed concern at the imposition of this housing need requirement on historical housing completion levels, and considered that a more reasonable target would have related to future, not past levels. Officers informed the Committee that the introduction of the Housing Delivery Test (HDT) would measure the Council’s housing delivery for the previous three years and was likely to use the ‘standard method’ figure. However, the Housing Delivery Test (HDT) had not been published yet.

c)            Potential urban sites not carried forward from Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) 2007 to SHLAA 2017. Following a question from a Member of the Committee, the Committee was informed that potential development sites identified in the SHLAA 2007 but subsequently considered not to be deliverable had been omitted from the SHLAA 2017.

d)            Outstanding permissions for residential development. The Committee was informed that the information presented in Table 6 of the UHCS (Outstanding permissions for residential development) related only to extant permissions. Officers informed the Committee that no expired permissions had been included in the figures, and that the data had been processed in a manner to avoid double-counting of sites with more than one valid development permission.

e)            Appendix A – Land to rear of 35 The Avenue, Worcester Park. The Committee identified that this development was incorrectly listed as being within Court Ward, and that it should instead be listed as within Cuddington Ward. Officers undertook to make this correction.

f)             Appendix A – NESCOT development. The Committee identified that current development work on the NESCOT Agricultural land site was not listed within Appendix A, and requested Officers to consider whether it should be. Officers would look into the matter and provide an update following the meeting.

g)            Appendix B –57 Longdown Lane North. The Committee identified that works on this site had begun, and requested Officers to consider whether it should be listed in Appendix A to the report, rather than Appendix B. Officers would look into the matter and correct the Appendices if appropriate.

Following consideration, it was resolved:

(1)      That the Committee noted the contents of the Urban  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

41.

Progress on the Local Plan pdf icon PDF 118 KB

This report provides Members with an update on the progress being made on the review of the Local Plan.

Decision:

It was resolved:

That the Committee:

(1)      noted the good progress being made in preparing the new Local Plan;

(2)      noted the government’s Housing Delivery Test and the implications that would follow; and

(3)      agreed to advise the Planning Committee that planning applications should be determined with the knowledge that there is not a demonstrable five year housing land supply.

 

Minutes:

The Committee received a report providing an update on progress against the new Local Plan’s project milestones. 

The report informed the Committee that the focus was currently upon completing a robust and proportionate evidence base that would support the new Local Plan through the forthcoming submission and examination stages. The report provided an overview of the Housing Delivery Test, the Borough’s performance and the implications for the Council’s Local Plan and decision making.

The following matter was considered:

a)            Communication to Planning Committee. The Committee noted that the report recommended that it should advise the Council’s Planning Committee that planning applications should be determined with the knowledge that there was not a demonstrable five year housing land supply. Officers informed the Committee that if this recommendation was agreed, a report would be presented to a future meeting of the Planning Committee to advise it of the issue.

Following consideration, it was resolved:

That the Committee:

(1)      noted the good progress being made in preparing the new Local Plan;

(2)      noted the government’s Housing Delivery Test and the implications that would follow; and

(3)      agreed to advise the Planning Committee that planning applications should be determined with the knowledge that there is not a demonstrable five year housing land supply.