Agenda, decisions and minutes

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.

No questions had been submitted or were asked by members of the public.

No questions had been submitted or were asked 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 by councillors regarding the item on the Agenda.

No declarations of interest were made by councillors regarding the item on the Agenda.

The Committee is asked to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 14 September 2017 (attached) and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee held on 14 September 2017 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee held on 14 September 2017 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

The government published a consultation paper seeking proposed changes to the planning system that it believes will help meet the objectives set out in the Housing White Paper, published at the end of last year.

In addition to the proposals themselves, the government has also published indicative housing need figures for every planning authority in England – these being based on their proposed methodology.  The figure they have indicatively identified for Epsom & Ewell is significantly higher (39%) than the scale of need identified in our own evidence.  These matters are of concern.

The report includes draft comments that could form the basis of the Council’s response to these proposals

The Committee:

(1)          Considered the draft comments to the government’s proposals and, subject to the amendments discussed at the meeting, agreed that these forms the basis of the Council’s response to the consultation.

(2)          Agreed that the Borough Council’s formal response to the consultation be published as part of the current Local Plan consultation process in order to inform local residents and communities of the fact that the government is driving the scale of growth proposed for Epsom & Ewell. 

Note: For clarification, the Borough’s current housing target is 181 new homes per annum: the Borough Council’s objectively assessed housing needs calculation identifies demand for 418 new homes per annum, whilst the government’s figure raises that assessment to 579 new homes per annum.

The government had published a consultation paper seeking proposed changes to the planning system that it believed would help meet the objectives set out in the Housing white paper, published at the end of 2016.  The proposals included a standard national methodology for calculating the Borough Council’s objectively assessed housing need which when applied produced a figure of 579 new homes per annum compared to 418 new homes, the scale of need that was identified through the Council’s own evidence.

The Committee was asked to consider a report detailing a draft response to the government’s consultation which was to be published as part of the current Local Plan consultation process.

The government’s formula for assessing housing need was discussed in comparison to the Council’s formula and the Committee were informed that the government’s simplified formula utilized far less data to calculate the figure, in essence:

Local housing need = (1+adjustment factor) x projected household growth

It was noted that the figure of 579 homes calculated using the above formula could not be revised downwards by applying evidence produced for the Council’s Local Plan, and whilst it was likely that the figures would be revised every five years, the ‘one size fits all’ approach where specific local constraints could not be factored in would result in an unviable housing need figure for the Borough.

The scope to transfer part of the requirement for new homes to other boroughs was discussed and it was noted that the Council had a duty to cooperate with neighbouring boroughs.  However whilst we were required to demonstrate that discussions on cross boundary strategic issues had taken place, it was likely that our neighbouring boroughs were in the same position as Epsom & Ewell, namely that our neighbours also have a limited supply of available housing sites and will not be able to meet their own housing needs.  In order to address the shortcomings of the current policy of Duty to Cooperate the government were proposing that local authorities pursued a ‘statement of common ground’ instead with the aim to provide a road map and a record of cross-boundary co-operation. To that end, it was noted that the Council were already in discussion with its three Housing Market Area partners (Elmbridge, Kingston and Mole Valley) in conjunction with whom the borough’s original objectively assessed housing need was calculated, to agree an approach which would likely exceed that being handed down though this current consultation.  It was noted that it was important to provide evidence to the Planning Inspectorate that other boroughs had been consulted, in order to minimise the risk of intervention.

It was subsequently agreed to add a comment to the question 9 response as follows:

‘However the Borough Council notes that while the use of a limited number of statements of common ground between authorities that collectively comprise a HMA may be logical, a more extensive usage may ultimately prove onerous.  The Borough Council understands that the DCLG envisages scenarios where neighbouring and related local planning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.