Meeting documents

Councillor Mrs Paternoster

Cabinet Member for Growth Strategy 

To consider the report attached as an Appendix.

Contact Officer: Peter Williams (01296) 585208

(a)       Decision(s)

(1)          That the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan Scrutiny Committee be thanked for its input and Council be recommended to approve the Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation Document as amended to reflect the changes the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions.

(2)          That Council be recommended to give delegated authority to the Director responsible for overseeing the formulation of the Local Plan, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Growth Strategy, to make such textual changes as might be necessary to prepare the document for publication.

(b)       Reason(s) for Decision(s)

To facilitate the consultation process and progression of the formulation of the Local Plan.

(c)        Alternative Option(s) Considered

None.  This is part of the process for producing the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan.

(d)       Relevant Scrutiny Committee

Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan.  That Committee considered the same report submitted to Cabinet on 14 October, 2015 and its views were reported orally to Cabinet.  Cabinet’s recommendations will now be considered by full Council on 21 October, 2015 and as such, are not subject to call-in.

(e)        Conflicts of Interest/Dispensation(s)

None.

Cabinet received a report also considered by the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan Scrutiny Committee on 14 October, 2015 and which would be submitted to Council on 21 October, 2015, concerning the content of the Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation Document.  The background to the preparation of the document was summarised in the Minutes of the Scrutiny Committee.

The document did not allocate sites for development as proposed allocations would be included at the Draft Plan stage.  The document set out the capacity which could be derived from the Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) of 22,523 dwellings, the housing need of 21,300 dwellings from the Housing and Economic Development needs Assessment (HEDNA), an estimated need for 10,000 dwellings to meet unmet need, and the spatial options for meeting the need.  There was a shortfall between the need and the potential supply and other options for meeting this need had to be considered, including combining the HELAA supply, and other aspects of supply, including a new settlement, intensification of development or substantial extensions at Milton Keynes to exceed the projected need.  The document also set out a list of planning policies, a revised settlement hierarchy and new evidence relating to landscape designations.

Both the HELAA and the HEDNA reports would be placed on the Council’s web site for comment as well as the Issues and Options Consultation Document.  Hard copies of these documents would be made available in the Members’ Lounge and the Forward Plans Section for any Member who wished to carry out an in depth study of the rationale and conclusions. The Consultation Document invited comments on the revised settlement hierarchy, a list of proposed development management policies and work to support local landscape designations.

The Chairman of the Vale of Aylesbury Scrutiny Committee was invited to elaborate upon that Committee’s deliberations concerning the document and these observations were discussed by Cabinet on a section by section basis.   It was noted that the Scrutiny Committee had asked in particular for an additional sentence to be included in question 2 in the section of the document relating to the implications of the HEDNA to assist consultees in considering their response.  Cabinet also sought clarification around a number of specific issues referred to in the consultation document, including the calculation of the unmet housing need figures, traveller site requirements and housing provision for elderly people.  Reference was also made to an e-mail from Councillor Whyte to the Cabinet Member for Strategic Growth, written after he had listened to the Scrutiny Committee discussions the previous evening.  Officers were asked to respond after consultation with the Cabinet Member.

The six week consultation period would commence on 23 October.  This would involve a number of consultation events but would primarily be web based.  Everyone on the Local Plan consultation database would be invited to comment, and the consultation would be publicised via a press release and on social media.  All comments would be taken into account in the production of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.