Meeting documents

Any changes will be reported at the meeting.

There were none.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 29 July, 2015, copy attached as an Appendix.

RESOLVED –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 29 July 2015 be approved as a correct record.

Members to declare any interests.

There were none.

To consider the report attached as Appendix B.

Contact Officer:  Peter Williams (01296) 585208

As reported at the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan Scrutiny Committee in July 2015, Members had requested that they be given the opportunity to consider the Issues and Options Consultation draft report before it went out for wider consultation in October 2015.

The draft consultation had been attached as an appendix to the report. It did not allocate sites for development as proposed allocations would be considered at the Draft Plans stage timetabled for Spring 2016. This in turn would precede the submission stage late in 2016 and adoption by mid 2017. A revised Annex 2 – Summary of Spatial Options Considered, had been circulated prior to the meeting.

The consultation set out the capacity which could be derived from the Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) as 22,523 dwellings, the housing need of 21,300 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. As there was a shortfall between the need and the potential supply, other options would have to be considered to meet need. These were outlined in the consultation document and included combining the HELAA supply and others aspects of supply with either a new settlement or substantial extensions at Milton Keynes or by utilising both the new settlement and the Milton Keynes extensions to exceed the projected need.

Both HELAA and HEDNA reports were placed on the Council’s website and would be available for comment as well as the consultation document. Comments had also been invited on the revised settlement hierarchy, a list of proposed development management policies and work to support local landscape designations.

The six week consultation period would commence on 23 October, following a report to Council on 21 October. The consultation would be primarily web based but events would also be held and all of those on the Local Plan consultation database would be invited to comment. All comments received would be taken into account during the production of the draft Local Plan for Spring 2016.

Members made a number of points on the consultation document which would be reported verbally to Cabinet on 15 October 2015. The only main change suggested related to question 2 on the section ‘Implications of the Housing and Economic Development Assessment and Gypsy and Traveller Needs Assessments’, where it was felt that the question should be re-worded to read:-

‘Has the HEDNA made the correct adjustments to the Government’s projections and if not what should the adjustments be? For example, might the need for more economic growth mean we should have more housing?’

RESOLVED –

That Members considered and noted the contents of the Local Plan and Options Consultation document and that their comments would be reported verbally to Cabinet at its meeting on 15 October 2015.