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 were submitted or were asked at the meeting by 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 by Councillors regarding items on the agenda.

No declarations of interest were made by Councillors regarding items on the agenda.

The Committee is asked to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meetings of the Committee held on 12 and 23 September (attached) and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The Minutes of the Meetings of the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee held on 12 and 23 September were agreed and signed by the Chair as a true record, subject to the addition of a reference to the substituted Vice-Chair for the meeting of 23 September.

The Minutes of the Meetings of the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee held on 12 and 23 September were agreed and signed by the Chair as a true record, subject to the addition of a reference to 23 September Minutes regarding the substitute Vice-Chair, Councillor Christ Frost who was elected for the evening in the absence of the Vice-Chair Councillor Clive Woodbridge, and with the agreement of the committee.

The Committee is asked to consider and agree the proposed amendments to the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) and agree for the Statement to be adopted and published on the Epsom & Ewell Borough Council website along with the adoption statement.

The Committee:

(1)            Agreed the proposed amendments to the Statement of Community Involvement

(2)            Agreed to adopt the Statement of Community Involvement and publish on the Epsom & Ewell website, along with the adoption statement.

In June 2019 the Committee approved a draft Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) for the purpose of the public consultation.  Following the conclusion of the public consultation the Committee received a report providing an overview of the responses submitted to the consultation and the proposed changes.

24 responses had been received and detailed in Annex 1.  From the responses received the following amendments were suggested and agreed by the Committee:

a)              Page 8: Paragraph 2.4.2. Remove ‘both thematic and site specific’.

b)              Page 12: Paragraph 2.7.3. Add ‘hard to reach’ before groups.

c)               Page 12: Paragraph 2.7.3 Add 'For example a spoken word version of a consultation document for the visually impaired can be produced and for public exhibitions we will ensure that the consultation premises are fully accessible'. 

d)              Page 13: Paragraph 2.8.3. Add 'For example for young people it may be preferred to take the consultation to meeting places such as the sixth form or college.'

e)              Page 15: Remove three duplicate paragraphs 3.3.1 3.3.2 3.3.3

f)                Appendix 1: Add after ‘Older persons groups’ a bracket (For example Age Concern and local care homes)

Accordingly, the Committee:

(1)            Agreed the proposed amendments to the Statement of Community Involvement

(2)            Agreed to adopt the Statement of Community Involvement and publish on the Epsom & Ewell website, along with the adoption statement.

The Committee is asked to consider and agree the Six Principles setting the strategic direction for the new Local Plan Growth Strategy and agree to revisit the Principles in light of further changes to the National Planning Policy Framework or new evidence.

The Committee:

(1)            Agreed the Six Principles setting the strategic direction for Epsom & Ewell’s new Local Plan growth Strategy

(2)            Agreed to revisit the principles in light of any further changes relating to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) or new evidence coming forward through the Local Plan process

The Committee received a report setting out Six Principles aimed at shaping the strategic direction for the Borough’s housing and growth.  It sought to clarify key matters that were relevant in the production of Epsom & Ewell’s new Local Plan.  It was emphasized that the principles were a set of markers that would drive growth in the Borough, but not intended to explain how it would be achieved.

The report also set out a chronological list of the evidence that had been produced to inform the preparation of the Local Plan 

The following points were raised:

·                 Principle 1 – Character of the Borough:  The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) should be viewed as a whole when assessing plans for development.  Whilst the NPPF specifies sustainable development, quality, character and design were also important and should be considered in the decision making process.

·                 Principle 3 – Design: It was reiterated that the Local Plan covered the whole borough and to that end it was agreed to amend Principle 3 to read; ‘…which ensures that each development is ‘of Epsom & Ewell’ reflecting the local character and setting.’

·                 Principle 4 – Heights and Density:  Further clarity on specific sites and localities would be achieved following Regulation 18 consultation.

·                 A Strategic Viability Assessment would provide the evidence needed to ascertain an achievable level of affordable housing.  It was noted that developments of 10 or less units were not required to supply affordable housing.

·                 New Local Plans were required to meet the tests of soundness and produce a strategy for achieving the Objectively Assessed Housing Need (OAHN) target as a minimum.  A strategy that resulted in an unmet OAHN would need to demonstrate how the unmet need would be delivered, for example investigating the potential for neighbouring Boroughs to take up the deficit.

·                 The purpose of Statements of Common Ground was to provide evidence that the Council had engaged with neighbouring Boroughs to explore the potential to work together to achieve their OAHNs and they could include areas of both agreement and disagreement.

·                 A key part of the Local plan would be the infrastructure development to support growth, and as part of the evidence a Transport Strategy would be produced to help secure and reinforce opportunities to improve infrastructure.

Accordingly the Committee:

(1)            Agreed the Six Principles setting the strategic direction for Epsom & Ewell’s new Local Plan growth Strategy, subject to the agreed amendment to Principle 3 as detailed above.

(2)            Agreed to revisit the principles in light of any further changes relating to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) or new evidence coming forward through the Local Plan process