Agenda item

Members will receive an update on progress with the development of the Buckinghamshire Local Plan.

Contributors:

Cllr Peter Strachan, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration

Darran Eggleton, Head of Service, Planning, Policy and Compliance

John Cheston, Planning Policy Manager

The Chairman welcomed Cllr Peter Strachan, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, Darran Eggleton Head of Service for Planning, Policy and Compliance, John Cheston, Planning Policy Manager and Rosie Brake, Planning Policy Team Leader to the meeting.

Councillor Robin Stuchbury submitted a question for the Cabinet Member and Officers to consider.

While the local authority subgroup and officers are working on putting together a sustainable development plan for Buckinghamshire - What work is being undertaken to ensure policies are written into the new development plan, in respect to providing contributions from developers towards health services within Buckinghamshire through infrastructure levy or section 106 Agreements in partnership with the NHS? Noting at this point no serious contributions have been collected to mitigate from developers in North Buckinghamshire.

At what point will there be for consultation with the greater membership of Buckinghamshire Council, and are Buckinghamshire Council reaching out to partner councils and parishes soon to gain their involvement in these important matters? which will affect how Buckinghamshire grows and becomes prosperous in the coming years through the new Buckinghamshire development plan.

The written response to the question has been attached to the minutes.

The following points were highlighted from the report:

·         The Council was awaiting an update on proposed planning reforms from central government, this would provide a steer for the Council in how they can pursue development of the Local Plan.

·         It had been rumoured that the Council would be permitted to take a more local approach -  rather than the top-down approach of housing targets, the plan would be built with local support. The Cabinet Member emphasised that this is the ideal approach to development of the Local Plan.

·         The timeline was outlined in the report, if Buckinghamshire Council followed the 30-month timetable from the first quarter of 2024, the Local Plan for Buckinghamshire could be submitted to the Secretary of State in quarter 2 of 2025.

·         Technical work was ongoing, as well as the call for sites which would inform the housing and economic land availability assessment. The key components would be the housing allocations.

·         Results from the attitudes survey findings had been outlined and published.

During discussion, comments and questions raised by the Committee included:

·        Policy BE3 in Wycombe Local plan provides for medical centre facilities in Bourne End and Wooburn, however Section 106 funds were not allocated for this. The CCG had responded that they believe section 106 funds should be used for this. It was emphasised that existing policies should be followed.

·        Officers were working to consider the Investment Zone proposals before any expression of interest was made. While investment zones attracted additional funding, there was the expectation that further development would be included.

·        Members were assured that Green Belt protection continued to be pursued by the Council, with several recent planning applications rejected. It was recognised that it is possible to build on the Green Belt only under very special circumstances.

·        The Head of Planning Policy and Compliance expressed their confidence that the budget set aside would be sufficient for development of the Local Plan.

·        Referencing 2.6i in the report, concern was expressed that neighbourhood development plans were being interpreted poorly by the Council. Officers clarified they do have full weight in the determination of planning applications and appeals, the misinterpretation would be discussed with the Member concerned.

·        Following adoption of the Local Plan, parishes have the option to update Neighbourhood plans to conform with any updated strategic policies.

·        The Committee was reassured that there was adequate staffing in Planning teams to enable the development of the Local Plan. The large number of vacancies present at the formation of the Council had been subsequently filled successfully.

·        The Council is obliged to complete the local plan by 2025, however it can only progress when information, regulations and raw data are available. There was a lack of clarity in the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill, and subsequent secondary legislation would be needed to provide greater detail on how local plans should be prepared. 2024 was envisioned for when a new planning system might be fully in place that could enable the Council to develop their local plan within its framework.

·        The attitudes survey findings would allow residents’ views to be incorporated into the plan, this included developing the objectives of the plan around environmental sustainability, housing and jobs. Policies would then be drafted to deliver against these objectives.

·        The Plan policies would ensure that any greenfield developments would meet the specified requirements. These could include key infrastructure and education requirements.

·        It was confirmed that Transport for Buckinghamshire were statutory consultees and the Council would co-ordinate with them and other key organisations during the development of the Local Plan.

·        Affordable housing requirements currently vary by location, e.g. 48% on greenfield sites in the Wycombe area and 25% in Aylesbury Vale area which reflects land value. Evidence would be gathered in viability studies on land values to determine affordable housing targets in the new Local Plan.

·        The five-year housing supply is currently calculated using former district council areas, as this allows more control over development. Once the Local Plan is adopted, it would be calculated using the county as a whole.

·        A decision has not yet been made to equalise Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) across the county. The national Infrastructure Levy proposal by central government, if implemented, would bring levy payments to the former Aylesbury Vale area. The charging schedules would be reviewed should the Infrastructure Levy be implemented nationally.

·        S106 contributions received for particular projects or initiatives need to be spent within the timescales specified to avoid the need for money to be returned to developers after the expiry period. CIL was noted as less prescriptive than section 106 agreements, which increased clarity for the developer.

·        Members were supportive of cooperation with the Health and Social Care Select Committee on the topic of Primary Care. This would be reviewed by the Chairman and Officers to decide the best approach.

·        Concern was expressed over the number of second homes in Buckinghamshire, Officers would look into the statistics and compare them to Devon, Cornwall and other authorities. ACTION: Darran Eggleton

The Chairman thanked all contributors to the discussion.