Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

In the Absence of the Chair at the start of the meeting, the Vice-Chair took the chair. Upon the Chair’s arrival at the meeting, during the Committee’s consideration of Item 2 of the agenda (‘Motion’), the Vice-Chair offered the chair to the Chair.

To receive declarations of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or other registrable or non-registrable interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interests or other registrable or non-registrable interests were made by Members in respect of any items considered at the meeting.

This report sets out notices of motions ruled in order and provides officer comments in response to the motion.

The Committee voted (3 for, 5 against,1 abstaining) against the motion.

Councillors Peter O’Donovan and Julian Freeman were absent from the meeting at the start of the Committee’s consideration of this item. Both became present during the course of debate.

In accordance with CPR4 of Appendix 5 of the Constitution, a special meeting of the Licencing and Planning Policy Committee was convened to consider a motion requested by three members of the Licencing and Planning Policy Committee. The motion was as follows:

The committee notes that

1.  At the July 2nd examination hearing the Inspector instructed o?cers and councillors to engage directly with each other on concerns over the Infrastructure Development Plan.

2.  A lack of meaningful engagement has meant that the Consultation Summary does not adequately address consultation responses on blue lights and telecommunications issues, these were subsequently raised at the examination hearing with no action.

This committee therefore resolves that planning policy o?cers make proactive contact with the proper organisational stakeholders to achieve a comprehensive response on blue lights and telecoms infrastructure:

1. To re?ect the new Police & Crime Plan 2025-28 and detail the implications of new housing for this type of infrastructure.

2. To re?ect the June 2026 HMICFRS inspection of Surrey Fire & Rescue Service and detail the implications of new housing for this type of infrastructure.

3. To re?ect the impact of new housing on capacity in mobile telecommunications, not just signal coverage, and to demonstrate how integration of the 5G rollout has been considered.

The Committee received a report setting out the motion and providing officer comments in response to the motion.

The following matters were considered:

a)            Reasoning Behind the Motion. Members supporting the motion stated that its purpose was to improve the Local Plan by obtaining updated information from key infrastructure providers before the examination process concluded. Supporting Members argued that further engagement could help the Local Plan to better reflect infrastructure requirements associated with population growth.

-       Supporting Members stated that housing growth would increase demand on telecommunications infrastructure and suggested that the Infrastructure Delivery Plan should place greater emphasis on network capacity and 5G provision.

-       Supporting Members requested that updated information be obtained from Surrey Police and Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, referencing policy and service developments that had occurred since earlier consultation stages.

b)            Engagement with Infrastructure Providers. Officers advised that all statutory consultation requirements had been met and that infrastructure providers had been engaged with through the plan-making process. It was noted that infrastructure providers would have the opportunity to comment during consultation on the proposed Main Modifications to the submitted Local Plan, and that the consultation process would provide an appropriate channel for any updated information to be submitted.

Following consideration, the Committee voted (3 for, 5 against, 1 abstaining) against the motion.