Cabinet Member for Planning
Additional documents:
Minutes:
22.1 Councillor Humphreys, Chairman of the Council invited Councillor Burn, Cabinet Member for Planning to introduce Paper MC/20/8.
22.2 Councillor Burn addressed some of the key points in the report including the background stages of the Joint Local Plan’s production, the extensive evidence base of the plan, the recommended options, and the principles provided by the plan.
22.3 Councillor Burn went on to explain the amendments required to the Statement of Community Involvement due to the ongoing situation with Covid-19.
22.4 Councillor Burn expressed thanks to the Chief Executive, the Assistant Director for Sustainable Communities, Tom Barker and his teams, especially the Strategic Planning team. He also thanked Phil Isbell, Chief Planning Officer and the Planning Team for their support. Special thanks were given to the Corporate Manager for Strategic Planning, along with the Joint Local Plan Members Working Group.
22.5 Councillor Burn MOVED recommendations 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 in the report, which was SECONDED by Councillor Guthrie.
22.6 In response to Councillor Otton’s question regarding the Neighbourhood Plans, which were still waiting to be sent out to referendum and those which were in the process of being developed, the Corporate Manager for Strategic Planning explained that Neighbourhood Plans would continue to be supported and any alternative views in relations to the Joint Local Plan (JLP) could be put forward for consideration.
22.7 Councillor Fleming asked for reassurance for that the Council’s commitment to local and National environmental and biodiversity policies was taken into account in the JLP and that these policies and commitment were fed into the planning decision taken by the Council.
22.8 Councillor Burn reassured Members that the JLP had been developed around the Councils’ environment ambitions and that the main issues of the plan were the provisions to mitigate carbon neutral and environment ambitions.
22.9 Councillor Mansel asked if consideration had been made for an extension of the minimum consultation period due to the Christmas period and the Covid-19 Pandemic.
22.10 The Assistant Director – Sustainable Communities explained that any extension of the consultation would be during the Christmas period. Consultation had been undertaken in the previous stages of the JLP in 2017 and 2019. The current draft JLP did not contain too many changes and that this consultation was for residents to comment.
22.11 In response to Members’ questions, Councillor Burn said that careful consideration of the distribution and allocation of developments in the area had included not only the Ipswich fringe but also towns, villages and hamlets.
22.12 The Corporate Manager – Sustainable Housing clarified that representation would be online and that information was available on the Council’s website.
22.13 Further responses to questions included how the JLP sought to meet the requirements for biodiversity and net gain, the relationship between site allocations for Neighbourhood Plans and the JLP and the weight each carried at Planning Committees, the dialogue between the JLP working group and parish councils and neighbourhood planning teams, the local policies included in the JLP which maximised the contribution to wellbeing ... view the full minutes text for item 22
Cabinet Member for Planning
Additional documents:
Minutes:
21.1 The Chair of the Council welcomed Tom Barker, Assistant Director for Sustainable Communities, and Robert Hobbs, Corporate Manager for Strategic Planning to the meeting.
21.2 The Cabinet Member for Planning, Councillor Arthey was invited by the Chair of the Council to introduce report BC/20/8.
21.3 Councillor Arthey addressed some of the key points in the report including the background stages of the Joint Local Plan’s production, the extensive evidence base of the plan, the recommended options, and the principles provided by the plan.
21.4 Councillor Arthey went on to explain the amendments required to the Statement of Community Involvement due to the ongoing situation with Covid-19.
21.5 Councillor Arthey expressed thanks to the Chief Executive, the Assistant Director for Sustainable Communities, Tom Barker and his teams, especially the Strategic Planning team. He also thanked Phil Isbell, Chief Planning Officer and the Planning Team for their support. Special thanks were given to the Corporate Manager for Strategic Planning, along with the Members involved with the development of the plan.
21.6 Councillor Arthey PROPOSED the recommendations in the report which was SECONDED by Councillor Ward.
21.7 The Corporate Manager for Strategic Planning responded to Councillor Hinton’s question regarding Suffolk County Council’s Local Plan and explained that consultation had taken place between Babergh District Council and Suffolk County Council.
21.8 Councillor Hinton queried the extraction of mineral on development sites in relation to the Suffolk County Council mineral extraction plan and how this was mitigated in the Joint Local Plan. Councillor Arthey explained that sites were identified for housing allocation and not for mineral extractions.
21.9 Councillor Arthey and the Corporate Manager for Strategic Planning responded to Members’ questions regarding specific parts of the plan relating to their wards.
21.10 Councillor Barrett enquired whether support for planning applications with a wider mix of property sizes would be provided in the future, in particular four-bedroom houses. Councillor Arthey advised that decisions regarding these issues would be the responsibility of the planning department and Planning Committee.
21.11 Councillor Arthey responded to Member’s questions on issues including: the robustness of the Joint Local Plan, existing permissions granted, and how the consultation would be communicated to communities.
21.12 Following a query from Councillor Jamieson regarding policy LS01 and the village of Lindsey (Appendix a, page 328), the Assistant Director for Sustainable Communities confirmed that clarification of the number of dwellings would be provided outside of the meeting.
21.13 Councillor Arthey assured Members that Parish Councils had been engaged with the development of the JLP in 2018 and 2019 and that the plan had been well publicised.
21.14 Members debated the report on issues including: Neighbourhood Plans, the number of allocations for the Ipswich fringe area, potential increase in traffic and the provision of infrastructure, the National Planning Policy Framework, sustainability issues and local needs for housing.
21.15 Some Members fully supported the JLP and that the design of the plan would support biodiversity, whilst others had concerns for the impact on climate change, sustainability, and carbon ... view the full minutes text for item 21