Issue - meetings

Issue - meetings

Central Bedfordshire Local Plan

Meeting: 08/01/2018 - SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (Item 62)

Central Bedfordshire Local Plan

 

To receive a report detailing the recommendations to the Executive in relation to the pre-submission draft Central Bedfordshire Local Plan.

 

The full report will be made publicly available on 3 January 2018 and can be accessed via the following link:-

 

http://centralbeds.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=577&MId=5348&Ver=4

 

Minutes:

 

The Executive Member for Regeneration advised the Committee that the latest iteration of the Local Plan set out the Council’s strategic direction for homes and business development, the detail of which had been informed by a recent public consultation. Members were advised of the decision-making timeline and that comments made by the Committee would be considered by the Executive. Following Executive the document would be assessed by full Council before going out to public consultation, after which the planning inspector would make their judgement on the Plan. Members were reminded of the consequences of not having an up to date Plan or five-year land supply. Concerns had also been raised regarding the new government housing calculation, which would substantially increase the number of homes the authority would be required to deliver.

 

The Head of Strategic Growth delivered a presentation, which set out the implications of the Oxford to Cambridge arc and the appropriate steps taken to mitigate these. The presentation also outlined the duty to provide for Luton’s unmet need, the approach to the spatial strategy and the release of some green belt land where it was deemed sustainable to do so. Members were advised that during the recent public consultation residents had expressed the importance of limiting the expansion of existing settlements, which had been reflected in the updated Plan.

 

In light of the presentation Members discussed the following in summary: -

·           Concerns regarding the decision making timeline and the date on which the technical evidence base, that would include small and medium growth areas and the size of countryside gaps, would be released. In response it was confirmed that the approach was standard practice and deemed appropriate.

·           The site assessment matrix, which it was confirmed would be included in the documentation when published.

·           Whether it was possible to fund strategic roads from developer contributions.

·           The need for clarity within the document regarding settlement boundaries.

·           Whether supporting the document at full Council would prejudice a Member’s ability to comment in detail at a later stage. In response it was confirmed that Members would not be prejudiced from making further comments if they supported the Plan at Full Council. At Full Council Members would be asked to support the document to be released for public consultation, a further opportunity would be provided to comment on individual aspects of the Plan in the usual manner.

·           That there were no plans to introduce a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) at this stage as the authority was still awaiting a government response to a CIL review conducted in 2017.

·          That details of all partner and statutory consultees would be provided to Members on request.

·          That each site within the Plan identified strategic health needs with officers liaising extensively with the CCG and NHS partners in order to identify provision for health care, thus informing the infrastructure delivery plan.

·           That formal and informal public open space would be provided in addition to countryside gaps.

·           That new developments would be required to detail the infrastructure requirements  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62