Agenda and minutes

To take any questions from members of the Public.

No questions were submitted or were asked at the meeting by members of the public.

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.

No declarations of interest were made in relation to items of business at the meeting.

The Committee is asked to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 6 August 2020 (attached) and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee held on 6 August were agreed as a true record and the Committee authorised the Chair to sign them.

The report outlines the proposed addendum to the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement following the safety guidance and restrictions from government to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The Committee received a report outlining the proposed addendum to the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement following the safety guidance and restrictions from the Government to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The following matters were considered:

·                     Engagement with consultation. Following a question from a Member, the Committee noted that paper copies of the document would be made available at appropriate locations to enable consultation, in addition to digital consultation channels.

·                     Typographical correction – Tree Advisory Board. It was noted that a typographical error on page 23 of Community Involvement 2019 document would be corrected. The words ‘”Tree Board” would be corrected to read “Tree Advisory Board”.

Following consideration, it was resolved that the Committee:

(1)          Approved the addendum to the Statement of Community Involvement (Appendix 1) for the purpose of public consultation and delegated powers to the Head of Planning to publish the Addendum with any minor amendments following consideration of consultation responses.

This report updates members on the existing and proposed changes to the planning system in England which have been introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more fundamental reforms which have either come into force or are proposed as part of the government’s intention to reform the planning system in England.

The Committee received a report updating Members on the existing and proposed changes which have been introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more fundamental reforms which have either come into force or are proposed as part of the government’s intention to reform the planning system in England.

Following consideration, it was resolved that the Committee:

(1)      Noted the short term changes to planning system put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, detailed in Appendix 1.

(2)      Noted the changes to permitted development rights, the Use Classes Order 1987 (as amended) and the recently published Planning White Paper and Changes to the Planning System detailed in Appendix 2.

The Draft Communications and Engagement Strategy sets out a framework as to how the Council can publicise and inclusively involve stakeholders in the forthcoming Regulation 18 consultation for the new local Plan. The strategy takes account of the potential impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The Committee received a report setting out a framework as to how the Council could publicise and inclusively involve stakeholders in the forthcoming Regulation 18 consultation for the new Local Plan, taking into account the impact of Covid-19.

The following matters were considered:

·         Amendments to Communications and Engagement Strategy. It was noted that the following amendments would be made to the Communications and Engagement Strategy:

o   Inclusion of sheltered accommodation. That “Residents in sheltered accommodation” would be added to the list of stakeholder groups detailed on page 4 of the Local Plan Draft Communications and Engagement Strategy.

o   Inclusion of Health & Wellbeing Strategy. The Council’s Health & Wellbeing Strategy would be added to the list of relevant policies (detailed in section 6 of the covering report), and would be referenced within Section 2 of the Communications and Engagement Strategy.

o   Section 1, bullet point 4, page 2: The word “unique” to be replaced with the word “distinctive”.

o   Inclusion of poltical parties, page 4. The words “Political parties” to be added to the stakeholder groups listed on page 4.

o   Additional local interest groups, page 4. It was noted that Members would provide details of additional local interest groups for possible inclusion within the list of stakeholders to the Head of Planning following the meeting.

o   Inclusion of 3^rd Sector groups within list of stakeholders, page 4. “3^rd Sector groups” would be added to the stakeholder groups listed.

Following consideration, it was resolved that the Committee:

(1)      Considered and commented on the Local Plan Draft Communications and Engagement Strategy 2020 attached at Appendix 1.

(2)      Delegated to the Head of Planning in consultation with the Chairman of the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee any final changes to the Draft Communications Plan before publication.

The Housing Delivery Action Plan identifies actions to increase future housing delivery in the Borough. The Council is required to prepare an Action Plan following the Housing Delivery Test (HDT) published by Central Government in February 2020, where the Council was unable to demonstrate housing delivery necessary for in the previous three years.

The Committee received a report identifying actions to increase future housing delivery within the Borough.

It was noted that the Council is required to prepare an Action Plan following the Housing Delivery Test (HDT) published by Central Government in February 2020, where the Council was unable to demonstrate housing delivery necessary for in the previous three years.

The following matters were considered:

·                     Compulsory Purchase Orders. Following a question from a Member, the Committee was advised that the use of a Compulsory Purchase Order to encourage the commencement of a development was normally considered to be a measure of last resort. The use of a Compulsory Purchase Order was a prolonged process, which offered various opportunities for challenge from relevant land owners / developers.

·                     Limited development commencement period. The Head of Planning informed the Committee that as standard a 3 year commencement period was provided for planning permissions, but under certain circumstances a condition included in a planning permission to restrict the commencement period to 1 or 2 years if it was felt to be justified.

Following consideration, it was resolved that the Committee:

(1)      Approved the Housing Delivery Action Plan 2020.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has published a consultation titled ‘Changes to the current planning system: consultation on changes to planning policy and regulations’. The consultation was published on 6 August 2020 and comments are invited by the end of 1 October 2020.

The Committee received a report detailing the recently- published consultation titled ‘Changes to the current planning system: consultation on changes to planning policy and regulations’ from The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

The Committee had also received a draft response focusing on the proposed changes to the standard method calculation.

The following matters were considered:

·                     Addition of potential for negative equity within the response to question 3 of the consultation. The Committee requested that the potential for negative equity to occur for home owners in the Borough as a result of the Government’s requirement for additional housing be added to the response to Question 3 of the consultation.

·                     Housing multiplier. The Committee requested that the consultation response include reference to the fact that as the Borough already had low land availability and high land cost, the use of a multiplier for housing delivery above the identified housing need was nonsensical.

·                     Response to Question 1 of the consultation. The Committee requested that the word “Yes” at the beginning of the proposed response to Question 1 be clarified as relating to planning practice guidance and nothing else.

Following consideration it was resolved that the Committee:

(1)          Noted and approved the draft response to the proposed changes to the standard method for assessing local housing need.

(2)          Authorised the Head of Planning to prepare and respond to the other three proposals set out in the ‘Changes to the current planning system’ consultation after consultation with the Chair of Licensing and Planning Policy Committee.