Decision details

To consider the contents of consultation on planning for the right homes in the right places, and agree an appropriate response.

The Planning Portfolio Holder agreed that the consultation response set out in Appendix A to the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development be submitted to the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), subject to:

Question 13 - In reviewing guidance on testing plans and policies for viability, what amendments could be made to improve current practice?

In the final sentence, namely “This will enable larger growth sites, which have substantial up-front infrastructure costs, to proceed with below policy compliant levels of affordable housing, if they are not supported by other infrastructure funding”, replace the word “proceed” with the word “commence”.

Question 19 - Having regard to the measures we have already identified in the housing White Paper, are there any other actions that could increase build out rates?

Under the heading ‘Build out’ (first paragraph, second line), add the words “…including Council homes…” immediately after the words “all tenures”.

Under the heading ‘Build out’, add a third paragraph suggesting the setting out of shorter commencement times on a national basis. The number of planning permissions granted should be given significantly more weight than houses actually built, so that local authorities were not penalised because of developers maintaining ‘land banks’ and because of factors beyond those local authorities’ control.

Under the heading ‘Build out’, make the point that housing delivery in South Cambridgeshire has been held back by the length of time the Council’s Local Plan has been at examination (submitted Spring 2014, adoption expected Spring 2018), which delay has particularly affected new strategic sites.

Under the heading ‘Prematurity’, redraft the final paragraph to indicate clearly the effect on South Cambridgeshire of the numbers of new dwellings granted planning permission because of speculative planning applications, including the total number of dwellings involved.