Decision details

Purpose

1. To agree the designation of the former Land Settlement Association estate at Great Abington as a Neighbourhood Area (see Appendix A for the application submitted by Great Abington Parish Council).

Background

2. A Neighbourhood Area must be designated before a Parish Council can prepare a Neighbourhood Plan. There are national regulations guiding how a designation should be considered by a local planning authority, including setting out timescales for making a decision on the designation and the length of time for the public consultation on the application. If the application is from a Parish Council but the proposed Neighbourhood Area does not cover the whole of its parish, the local planning authority must determine the application within thirteen weeks of the start date of the public consultation. The regulations also state that public consultation on the Neighbourhood Area boundary must be undertaken for a minimum of six weeks.

3. The process agreed by SCDC to designate a Neighbourhood Area within the district is set out in Appendix B.

Application from Great Abington Parish Council 

4. Great Abington Parish Council has decided that it would like to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan for a specified area within their parish. They have applied to SCDC for the former Land Settlement Association (LSA) estate to be designated as a Neighbourhood Area, supplying a map of the area to be designated, and a statement explaining why the area should be designated. The Parish Council has set out clearly in its statement why it considers this to be the preferred option for a Neighbourhood Area (see Appendix A, question 8).

5. The proposed Neighbourhood Area covers the Great Abington former LSA estate, which only forms part of the parish of Great Abington. Great Abington Parish Council feel there is a need for additional planning guidance in this area as there is inconsistency in the decisions made by SCDC and planning inspectors considering appeals for new dwellings and / or outbuildings. The Parish Council has decided, in consultation with the local community and SCDC, that they would like to use a Neighbourhood Plan to set out the additional planning guidance they feel is necessary to provide more certainty for applicants wanting to develop in this area.

Consultation 

6. SCDC carried out public consultation on the application for six weeks between 15 June and 27 July 2016. SCDC has thirteen weeks from the start of the consultation to make a decision on the proposed Neighbourhood Area; therefore the deadline for determining the application is 14 September 2016.

7. Consultation on the Neighbourhood Area boundary was undertaken by SCDC as required, with support from the Parish Council:

(a)          Prior to the application for area designation, the Parish Council made its local community aware of its intention to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan. Meetings were held in October 2015 and February 2016, and the local community supported the Parish Councils proposals. Updates have also been included in the monthly newsletter that is delivered to every house.

(b)          The application form (which includes a statement of why the area should be designated) and the map from Great Abington Parish Council indicating the proposed Neighbourhood Area, was published on SCDC’s website on 15 June 2016 with a closing date for comments of 27 July 2016. Comments could be submitted on the proposed boundary using the online consultation system, by email or by post.

(c)          The application form and map were available to view during the consultation at the SCDC offices and the Great Abington Village Institute, High Street, Great Abington.

(d)          SCDC consulted with the consultees that are used for Local Plan public consultations.  

(e)          SCDC consulted with all Parish Councils within a three mile buffer zone of the boundary of the proposed Neighbourhood Area. 

(f)           With assistance from the Parish Council, SCDC also contacted all households and landowners within the former LSA estate, local groups, businesses, and schools in order to meet the requirement to bring the consultation to the attention of people who live, work or carry out business in the proposed Neighbourhood Area.

(g)          Posters were displayed on the Parish Council notice board and at the Great Abington Village Institute throughout the consultation period.

(h)          The Parish Council also publicised the consultation in their local area by including information in the Abington and Hildershams Village News.

(i)            The consultation was publicised in the Planning Policy monthly update, which goes out to all parishes across the district.

(j)            SCDC issued a press release about the proposed consultation.

8. 14 comments have been received, none objecting to the area designation. A summary of each of the comments received during the consultation is included as Appendix C. This low level of response is to be expected given that it was not a consultation on a Neighbourhood Plan itself that would include policies for the area.

9. Of the comments received, the majority are from residents within the Great Abington former LSA estate supporting the need for clear planning guidance and making comments on what should be included in the Neighbourhood Plan. Individual responses have been sent to Mr Wagstaff and Ms Hugo providing further information and clarification on the Council’s adopted planning policies for the area and the neighbourhood planning process.

10. Comments received from the Environment Agency, Natural England and Sport England all include web links to relevant advice they have to assist Parish Councils in preparing a Neighbourhood Plan. In addition, the Environment Agency has provided local information relating to the local area and Anglian Water has said that it will be pleased to comment on matters relevant to their organisation.

Consideration by South Cambridgeshire District Council

11. SCDC is supportive of Great Abington preparing a Neighbourhood Plan for the former LSA estate and is keen for the two Councils to work together in considering the future development of the area. In response to comments from Ms Hugo and to reflect the cessation of the LSA smallholding scheme, it is suggested that the Neighbourhood Area is named ‘Great Abington Former LSA Estate’ instead of Great Abington LSA estate.

12. The Neighbourhood Area proposed by the Parish Council is considered by officers to follow a natural boundary, as it reflects the boundary of the LSA estate as set up in the 1930s. It would therefore be an effective Neighbourhood Area for Neighbourhood Plan purposes.

Local Development Scheme

13. The Local Development Scheme (LDS) was approved in February 2014 and sets out the planning policy documents that SCDC proposes to prepare. An addendum to the LDS was approved in August 2015 to include a list of the Neighbourhood Areas that have been designated within the district. This report recommends a new designation is approved, and therefore the addendum should be revised to include this additional Neighbourhood Area (see Appendix D).

The Planning Portfolio Holder approves:

(a)        The designation of a Neighbourhood Area for the Great Abington former Land Settlement Association estate as proposed by Great Abington Parish Council; and

(b)        An amendment to the addendum to the Local Development Scheme relating to Neighbourhood Plans to add Great Abington former Land Settlement Association estate to the list of Neighbourhood Areas designated within the district.

1.    South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) has received an application from Great Abington Parish Council to designate the ‘Great Abington Former Land Settlement Association Estate Neighbourhood Area’. SCDC has thirteen weeks from the start of the consultation, on 15 June 2016, to make a decision whether to designate the area as proposed or to designate an alternative area. The decision must be made by 14 September 2016.

2.    The Local Development Scheme (LDS) was approved in February 2014. An addendum to the LDS was approved in August 2015 to include a list of the Neighbourhood Areas that have been designated within the district. This new designation, if approved, will need to be included in this list.

The Planning Portfolio Holder could:

(a)          Decide to designate the Neighbourhood Area as proposed by Great Abington Parish Council;

(b)          Decide to designate an alternative Neighbourhood Area to that applied for by Great Abington Parish Council. However, the proposed Neighbourhood Area is logical and clearly recognisable to the local community and no objections have been received to suggest an alternative area;

(c)          Decide to defer a decision on the Neighbourhood Area. However, to meet the regulations SCDC must decide on the Neighbourhood Area within thirteen weeks from the start date of the consultation, therefore by 14 September 2016. The local community have had an opportunity to comment on the proposed Neighbourhood Area and no objections have been received.