Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

The Portfolio Holder is asked to sign the minutes of the joint meeting held with the Planning & Economic Development Portfolio holder on 19 October 2012 as a correct record.

The Planning Policy & Localism Portfolio Holder signed, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting held on 19 October 2012.

The Planning Policy & Localism Portfolio Holder agreed

1.     the joint Part 1 document (Appendix A to the report from the Planning and New Communities Director) and supporting evidence base (Appendices B, C, D, E and F) for consultation;

2.     the Sustainability Appraisal of the Part 1 document for consultation (Appendix G);

3.     the Part 2 document (Appendix H) and supporting evidence base (Appendix I) for consultation;

4.     the Sustainability Appraisal of the Part 2 document for consultation (Appendix J);

5.     the consultation arrangements sets out in paragraphs 32 to 35; and

6.     that any minor amendments and editing changes, including to make more publicly accessible documents, that need to be made should be agreed in consultation with the Portfolio Holder.

The Planning Policy & Localism Portfolio Holder requested a further report in relation to the proposed inclusion in the Options consultation of the Whittlesford  Depot site for housing or employment use.

The Planning Policy & Localism Portfolio Holder considered a report on the two parts of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan Issues and Options 2 Consultation Reports for public consultation from 7 January to 18 February 2013, and  seeking her approval  to publish new evidence base documents supporting the plan, having considered the recommendation made from the Joint Strategic Transport and Spatial Planning Group (JSTSPG) in respect of the Part 1 joint consultation document produced with Cambridge City Council.

The Planning Policy Manager summarised the consultation process adopted for the new Local Plan, and highlighted the three prioritised search areas for site allocations namely the edge of Cambridge on land removed from the Green Belt, the new town of Northstowe, and the larger and better served villages in South Cambridgeshire designated as Rural Centres and Minor Rural Centres.  The loss of Cambridge Airport as an intended site for 12,000 homes had prompted a further review of the Green Belt around Cambridge, resulting in the allocation of land for 680 homes, 130 of which would be in South Cambridgeshire.

Councillor John Williams said that the purpose of the Green Belt around Cambridge was to separate the City from the “necklace” villages.  He was satisfied that the proposals had sought to strike a balance between the desire for green separation and the need to identify new, and sustainable, development sites close to Cambridge.  The Planning Policy Manager assured Members that the review of the Green Belt had been conducted with great care, and the proposals represented the agreed view of officers based on data from the latest Census and the ten-year prediction of housing demand drawn up by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Councillor Nick Wright pointed out that the Green Belt was coming under pressure from tourism and recreation, as well as housing, and said that this too should be addressed at the Issues and Options stage.

Councillor Steve Harangozo said that transport should be central to future housing development.  Maximum use should be made of sites in Cambridge so as to make use of the better public transport links.  Accordingly, South Cambridgeshire District Council should use its best endeavours to influence the City Council into revising density levels upwards.  Sarah Saunders, Planning Policy Manager, from Cambridge City Council responded to this point.  Her underlying point was not to be too prescriptive about density levels generally at this stage but rather to continue with the preferred approach which was to specify density on a site-by-site basis.

The Planning Policy & Localism Portfolio Holder requested a report on the proposal to include in the site options consultation the redevelopment of the current Cambridgeshire County Council Depot at Whittlesford for housing.  Councillor David Bard asked that the options consultation includes employment use.  The Portfolio Holder would make a decision on whether or not to include the depot site in the publicity material for the public consultation which was scheduled to begin on 7^th January 2013.  An allocation could lead to a site coming forward elsewhere in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

The Planning Policy & Localism Portfolio Holder

·             Agreed for publication on the Council’s website the contents of the Annual Monitoring Report (Part 1) (included as Appendix 2 to the report from the Planning and New Communities Director; and

·             delegated any further minor editing changes to the Annual Monitoring Report (Part 1) to the Planning and New Communities Director where they are technical matters.

A date will be confirmed if required.

The next scheduled meeting would take place on 21 March 2013, starting at 10.00am.