Cabinet Member for Planning
Minutes:
9.1 The Chair stated that the Draft Joint Local Plan could not be changed apart from typographical and factual errors and Members should focus on the policies within the report and avoid getting into specific issues relating to Members’ wards. Such issues should be raised as part of the consultation.
9.2 Councillor David Burn, Cabinet Member for Planning introduced report MC/19/7 Babergh and Mid Suffolk Draft Joint Local Plan: Preferred Options and summarised the key points in the report.
9.3 Councillor Burn suggested that some Members felt that the report was not ready to be published, however the Council could not afford any more delaying and any issues could be raised during the consultation period, which Councillor Burn proposed to cover ten weeks instead of the statutory six weeks.
9.4 Councillor Burn then MOVED the amended recommendations, which Councillor Brewster SECONDED.
9.5 Councillor Brewster said that the Joint Local Plan had been in preparation for a long time and that the document was as much up to date as possible.
9.6 Councillor Eburne PROPOSED the following amendment:
That the Corporate Manager – Strategic Planning, before the non-strategic Place and Allocations Policies are finalised for consultation, reviews and, where it would not necessitate further viability or sustainability appraisal, amends or clarifies the proposals maps or supporting text in consultation with any ward member that raises concerns about their ward before Noon of Friday 5th July 2019.
She was also concerned that data and not Neighbourhood Plans had been the basis for the Joint Local Plan.
9.7 Councillor Stringer SECONDED the amendment.
9.8 The Chair put the amendment to Councillor Burn, the proposer of the Recommendations, who accepted the amendment.
9.9 Councillor Burn assured Councillor Eburne that the Joint Local Plan was based on both evidence and data and he hope that the amendment would alleviate any concerns regarding this.
9.10 The amendment was PUT to Members and was CARRIED.
9.11 Councillor Passmore stated it was important to listen to the communities, some who had expressed concerns about water resources in area with larger developments.
9.12 However, there were villages who welcomed developments and others who was concerned about the opportunities for local first times buyers. It was important that the Council delivered a Joint Local Plan responding to these issues. He was afraid the consultation period would not be meaningful.
9.13 Councillor Stringer stated that by publishing a flawed set of maps the Council had ignored the wishes of the communities and that there was a risk of damaging the relationship with Parish Councils as a result of this.
9.14 The Assistant Director for Planning and Communities responded to the issues raised and assured Members that the work on the Joint Local Plan had been undertaken in accordance with, not just planning policies but other policies and strategies concerning both the Council and communities.
9.15 Councillor Burn, Cabinet Member for Planning responded by stressing the importance of working closely and collaboratively with Members and communities. It was possible to update a few maps in the Joint Local Plan to ensure that for instance, developments did not take place on green sites.
9.16 Councillor Field thought the Joint Local Plan was long overdue and that this had left the Council exposed to speculative developers. However, he supported the plan despite having reservations regarding some of the issues surrounding the Plan. This included that some developments with approved planning permissions had not been included within the village boundaries. Also, rejected developments were shown as proposals without indication of where they were in the planning process. This could provide an impression that the Council wished for such developments to be progressed. He was unsure if the extension to the 5th July 2019 would allow enough time for Members to submit their comments.
9.17 Councillor Carter raised issues concerning the lack of fundamental development in communities. The Council needed to address the need for social housing. He felt that extensive resources and funding had been spent on developing a Joint Local Plan which was outdated and did not include evidence from local communities.
9.18 The Corporate Manager for Strategic Planning reminded Members that the draft Joint Local Plan was first presented to Member in April 2018 and that sites that had been granted planning permission since then were not included in the plans, unless they had been included in the Strategic Plan. He then clarified the process for sites being included in the Joint Local Plan.
9.19 Councillor Eburne raised concerns regarding Neighbourhood Plans, which had been produced by local communities and whom now felt they had been ignored as these plans had not been taken into account in the Joint Local Plan. However, she would still support the Joint Local Plan
9.20 Councillor Geake enquired how much weight the Joint Local Plan had in the planning application.
9.21 The Professional Lead for Growth and Sustainable Planning explained that currently the Draft Joint Local Plan carried little weight until it was progressed further.
9.22 Councillor Guthrie thought that the Joint Local Plan should have been published before the election and that the maps were made available to Members too late.
9.23 Councillor Burn commented on the issues raised and though a lot of useful comments had been raised during the debate. He assured Members that Neighbourhood Plans would carry valued when the Joint Local Plan progressed to the next stage of the process.
9.24 The Corporate Manager for Strategic Planning explained that quite a few Neighbourhood Plans had been produced without indicative development figures and that this was now being addressed. It was anticipated that further work would be undertaken with the Neighbourhood Plan groups as the Joint Local Plan progressed. He also advised Members that some open spaces would be protected by policy.
9.25 The recommendations as amended were PUT to Members and the vote was CARRIED.
It was RESOLVED: -
1. That the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Draft Joint Local Plan: Preferred Options Document (June 2019) (appendix A) be approved for a ten-week consultation
2. That the Corporate Manager – Strategic Planning, before the non-strategic Place and Allocations Policies are finalised for consultation, reviews and, where it would not necessitate further viability or sustainability appraisal, amends or clarifies the proposals maps or supporting text in consultation with any ward member that raises concerns about their ward before Noon of Friday 5th July 2019.
3. That the Corporate Manager – Strategic Planning, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Planning, be authorised to make consequential amendments to the consultation document arising from:
(i) removal of drafting and technical errors and typing mistakes, and;
(ii) improvements to the layout of the document.
Supporting documents: