Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report.

The Executive Board:

(a)        ENDORSED the approach to monitoring set out in paragraphs 11 to 23 of the report.

(b)        NOTED progress towards delivery as set out in paragraph 18 of the report.

(c)        AGREED that it treats as the same figure of 33,500, the housing supply (both through actual housing completions and through predicted completions from permissions, allocations and windfalls) required in the submitted Local Plans for Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council, and the commitment in the City Deal agreement.

(d)        AGREED to define the City Deal agreement on affordable housing as follows:

"All affordable homes (as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework) constructed on rural exception sites, and on sites not allocated for development in the local plans and outside of a defined settlement boundary.”

(e)        AGREED that due consideration be given to the housing needs of local people;

(f)         REQUIRED Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council to identify and record eligible planning permissions and completions, and the forecast and actual years in which they are built, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report (Figure 2), detailing also the cumulative total so that the delivery of the 1,000 additional homes can be identified.

The Executive Board considered a report in relation to monitoring delivery of 1,000 additional new homes on rural exception sites. 

Caroline Hunt, Planning Policy Manager, presented the report and reminded the Board that this issue was considered in the last cycle of meetings by the Joint Assembly and Executive Board.  The focus of discussion at both meetings was on the definition of eligible homes to count towards the 1,000 additional homes.  Reflecting current circumstances and the extensive discussion by Joint Assembly and Executive Board Members previously, Mrs Hunt explained that it was appropriate to interpret the City Deal agreement to count the affordable housing on sites coming forward in the rural area as exceptions to the normal Local Plan policies.  The following definition was therefore proposed:

“All affordable homes (as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework) constructed on rural exception sites, and on sites not allocated for development in the local plans and outside of a defined settlement boundary”.

She felt that this revised definition reflected the Assembly and Board’s aspiration to follow local expectations at the time of the Deal’s consideration that homes were affordable homes, as per the majority of homes delivered through rural exception site policy.

Councillor Roger Hickford, Chairman of the Joint Assembly, reported that the Joint Assembly had considered this report at its meeting on 25 August 2016.  Following extensive debate and discussion, the Joint Assembly had:

(a)        NOTED progress towards delivery as set out in paragraph 18 of the report.

(b)        RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board endorses the approach to monitoring as outlined in paragraphs 11 to 23 of the report.

(c)        RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board:

(i)         treats as the same figure of 33,500, the housing supply (both through actual housing completions and through predicted completions from permissions, allocations and windfalls) required in the submitted Local Plans for Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council, and the commitment in the City Deal agreement;

(ii)        defines the City Deal agreement on affordable housing as follows:

"All affordable homes (as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework) constructed on rural exception sites, and on sites not allocated for development in the local plans and outside of a defined settlement boundary.”

(iii)       requests that due consideration be given to the housing needs of local people;

(iv)       requires Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council to identify and record eligible planning permissions and completions, and the forecast and actual years in which they are built, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report (Figure 2), detailing also the cumulative total so that the delivery of the 1,000 additional homes can be identified.

Councillor Bridget Smith, Member of the Joint Assembly and South Cambridgeshire District Councillor, said that it was imperative that the definition was as close to the principles originally signed up to as possible, particularly in respect of meeting local need.  She highlighted that another option could be to state that the objective set out in the original agreement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9

To consider the attached report.

The Joint Assembly:

a)    NOTED progress towards delivery as set out in paragraph 18 of the report.

b)    RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board endorses the approach to monitoring as outlined in paragraphs 11 to 23 of the report.

c)    RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board:

1.    Treats as the same figure of 33,500, the housing supply (both through actual housing completions and through predicted completions from permissions, allocations and windfalls) required in the submitted Local Plans for Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council, and the commitment in the City Deal agreement;

2.    Defines the City Deal agreement on affordable housing as follows:

"All affordable homes (as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework) constructed on rural exception sites, and on sites not allocated for development in the local plans and outside of a defined settlement boundary.”

3.    Requests that due consideration be given to the housing needs of local people;

4.    Requires Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council to identify and record eligible planning permissions and completions, and the forecast and actual years in which they are built, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report (Figure 2), detailing also the cumulative total so that the delivery of the 1,000 additional homes can be identified.

The Joint Assembly considered a report on the City Deal’s commitment to the delivery of 1,000 new homes on rural exception sites. In particular, Members noted the approach to monitoring set out in paragraphs 11 to 23 inclusive, and the progress towards delivery set out in paragraph 18 of the report.

The Joint Assembly received and noted a letter from Councillor Bridget Smith, who was unable to attend the meeting.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Planning Policy Manager summarised the report, and referred Assembly members to the graph attached thereto. She explained that the red line indicated the level of housing provision needed in order to meet delivery targets contained within the South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council Local Plans. Where the yearly bars extended above the red line, this indicated projected delivery of the 1,000 extra homes.

Councillor Maurice Leeke pointed to the different emphases that could be placed on the City Deal’s commitment. He said that, in any event, it was important to focus on the words ‘affordable’ and ‘additional’. The homes should be built on rural exception sites so that the ‘local connection’ requirement could be applied. Councillor Leeke said that the proposed definition of affordable housing, set out in paragraph 17 of the report, should be clear on that point. Councillor Roger Hickford, Chairman of the Joint Assembly, expressed concern that strict adherence to the need for a local connection could lead to homes remaining vacant where no such local need existed, and until the ‘cascading out’ measures were implemented.

Alex Colyer, Executive Director at South Cambridgeshire District Council explained how the District Council prioritised entitlement to affordable housing.

Councillor Leeke suggested that the definition of affordable housing should draw a distinction between  the commitment to provide 1,000 new homes, and the affordable homes delivered by virtue of developments permitted as a result of the inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. Councillor Kevin Price argued that the proposed definition of affordable housing, as set out in paragraph 17 of the report, was sufficient. There was further discussion about the different ways in which affordable housing could be delivered and unease at the apparent lack of consistency in applying ‘local connection’ criteria.

Sir Michael Marshall suggested that local support and local needs should be defining factors.

Councillor Price referred to the impact that viability could have on the target figure of 40% affordable housing on permitted housing developments. Caroline Hunt confirmed that the policy was one of 40% affordable housing, subject to viability.

Councillor Leeke said that exception sites resulted from the goodwill of landowners providing land that might otherwise one day have been included within development frameworks. Such landowners were thus foregoing the opportunity of benefiting from a substantial increase in land values.  He said that one of the ‘selling points’ for landowners releasing land outside development frameworks was the attraction of the ‘local connection’ element. He said that this, in turn, could release affordable housing elsewhere, as people moved back  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8