Cabinet Member for Planning

11.1          Councillor Burn, Cabinet Member for Planning introduced report MC/19/8, Publication of the Mid Suffolk Housing Delivery Test Action Plan.

11.2          Councillor Burn MOVED recommendations 3.1 and 3.2, which was SECONDED by Councillor Flatman.

11.3          Councillor Stringer enquired who were to undertake the work detailed from page 126 to 135 in the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan.

11.4          The Professional Lead for Key Sites and Infrastructure explained that various team would be involved in this work including the Strategic Planning Development Management Team and the Strategic Housing Team.

11.5          Councillor Mansel questioned Table 1 on page 135 of the report and whether the figures for school sites also included lapsed planning permissions.

11.6          The Professional Lead for Growth and Sustainable Planning responded that lapsed planning permissions would be renewed if it was considered that the development would be deliverable.

11.7          Councillor Otton referred to the bullet points on page 125 of the Action Plan and sought reassurance that the Council had all the relevant data available and that it was accurate. She thought it was important that Members knew, who the developers were and where they had developed properties. 

11.8          Councillor Otton also hoped that due consideration would be exercised in relation to approval of Section 106. 

11.9          In response to Councillor Carter’s question, the Assistant Director for Planning and Communities detailed the various policies, data and work undertaken by officers to enable the action plan to be achieved.  He suggested to Members that further details could be discussed outside the meeting to ensure all Councillors had confidence in the process.

11.10       Councillor Scarff commented that he felt there were too many actions in the Action Plan for stalled sites and suggested that a six months update be brought to Council.

11.11       Officers responded that this would be included in the Portfolios Holders reports to Council.

11.12       Councillor Eburne stated that the Housing Delivery Action Plan had been a requirement made by the Government.  She asked for assurance from the Leader and the Chief Executive Officer that there were enough staff resources to undertake the work required before sites were stalled. 

11.13       The Chief Executive responded that there were enough resources to undertake the work required.

11.14       Councillor Stringer added that the failure to deliver houses were noticeable locally through the Planning committees. He was also concerned about Staff resources and how this would affect planning permissions. He PROPOSED an amendment to Recommendations 3.1 and 3.2 to read as follows:

That sufficient resources be found to ensure that the outcome detailed in the Mid Suffolk Housing Delivery Test Action Plan can be meet.

11.15       Councillor Carter SECONDED the amendment.

11.16       The amendment was put to the proposer of the recommendations Councillor Burn, who accepted the amendment.

11.17       The amendment was PUT to Members and the vote was CARRIED.

It was RESOLVED: -

That sufficient resources be found to ensure that the outcome detailed in the Mid Suffolk Housing Delivery Test Action Plan can be meet be included in the recommendations.

11.18       The Assistant Director for Planning and Communities clarified that the consultant report detailed the length of planning applications. He explained how this was measured and recorded to provide the date used in the Action Plan.

11.19       Councillor Passmore asked that the eight points identified in the Action Plan, including indicative dates, be included in the Annual Review.

11.20       Councillor Mellen suggested that the Acton Plan be brought to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at the end of year.

11.21       Councillor Welham expressed concern that planning applications were delayed by Section 106 applications and asked that enough resources were allocated for both the planning and the legal part of the application process. He asked that people with different skills-sets were appointed to ensure that current progress made for planning applications was maintained.

11.22       The amended recommendations were PUT to Members and the vote was CARRIED.

It was RESOLVED:

1.               That the Mid Suffolk Housing Delivery Test Action Plan (June 2019) is approved for publication.

2.               That the Corporate Manager – Strategic Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, be authorised to make consequential amendments to the document arising from any drafting errors and typing mistakes.

3.               That sufficient resources be found to ensure that the outcome detailed in the Mid Suffolk Housing Delivery Test Action Plan can be meet.