Issue - meetings

South Cambridgeshire Local Development Framework

Adoption of Site Specific Policies Development Plan Document

South Cambridgeshire District Council adopted the Site Specific Policies Development Plan Document (DPD) on 28 January 2010.  The adopted document comprises the Submission plan amended in accordance with the Inspectors’ binding report of the Examination into the Site Specific Policies DPD, received by the Council on 28 September 2009.

The Council is required to show the boundaries of those policies with spatial elements in adopted plans on the Proposals Map.  The Adopted Proposals Map 2010 can be viewed on the Council’s website: www.scambs.gov.uk/ldf. 

The Final Sustainability Report remains as published in January 2006 with the Submitted plan, together with the supplementary report on Responding to a Housing Shortfall.  No changes to the Sustainability Appraisal were identified by the Inspectors to be necessary in making their binding recommendations.  The adopted Plan is also accompanied by a Sustainability Statement describing the Sustainability Appraisal process that supported the preparation of the plan.

The Council has produced a Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report of the Site Specific Policies DPD and an additional report on Responding to a Housing Shortfall, as required by the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).  These conclude that the Plan will have no significant effects on European sites designated as being of importance to nature conservation.  

The Council has also produced an Adoption Statement, a copy of which is enclosed with this letter.  Also appended is a full list of the adoption documents and where they can be inspected and / or purchased. 

All the adoption documents are available to view on the Council’s website: www.scambs.gov.uk/ldf.

Please contact the Planning Policy Team if you require any further assistance.

Adoption Documents

The following documents can be viewed online at the District Council’s website: www.scambs.gov.uk/ldf and can be inspected at South Cambridgeshire District Council, South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, CB23 6EA during normal office hours (8.30am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday). 

Printed documents may also be purchased from the District Council’s offices.  The cost of each document is given below (prices include postage and packaging):

·                      Adoption Statement (Free);

·                      Adopted Site Specific Policies Development Plan Document (DPD) (January 2010) (£12);

·                      Local Development Framework Adopted Proposals Map (January 2010) (Incorporating Schedule of Adopted Plans and Saved Policies) (£40);

·                      Schedule of Adopted Policies (£5 – note also in the adopted Proposals Map);

·                      Inspectors’ Report of the Examination into the South Cambridgeshire Site Specific Policies DPD (September 2009) (£5);

·                      Core Strategy, Development Control Policies DPD and Site Specific Policies DPD Final Environmental / Sustainability Report (January 2006) (£10);

·                      Sustainability Appraisal of the Site Specific Policies Development Plan Document Supplementary Report (September 2008) (£20);

·                      Site Specific Policies DPD Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessment Adoption Statement (January 2010) (£5);

·                      Site Specific Policies DPD Habitats Directive Assessment (August 2007) (£20); and

·                      Site Specific Policies Development Plan Document Responding to a Housing Shortfall Habitats Regulations Assessment (December 2008) (£5).

South Cambridgeshire District Council

Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004

The Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004 as amended

Adoption Statement

Site Specific Policies Development Plan Document

In accordance with Regulations 24(4) and 36, notice is hereby given that South Cambridgeshire District Council adopted the Site Specific Policies Development Plan Document (DPD) on 28 January 2010. 

This Statement and the adoption documents can be viewed online at the Council’s website: www.scambs.gov.uk/ldf and inspected at the Council’s offices: South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, CB23 6EA between 8.30am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday. 

Any person aggrieved by the Site Specific Policies DPD may make an application under Section 113 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 to the High Court on the grounds that the document is not within the appropriate powers and / or a procedural requirement has not been complied with.  Any such application must be made not later than the end of the period of six weeks starting on the date on which the DPD was adopted.

Gareth Jones, Corporate Manager (Planning & Sustainable Communities)

South Cambridgeshire District Council

This report is for adoption and cannot be amended. The full plan document can be viewed in the members’ lounge or on the Council’s website:

www.scambs.gov.uk/meetings  

A vote was taken and with 32 votes in favour, nine against and 7 abstentions Council RESOLVED TO ADOPT

(a)         The Site Specific Policies Development Plan, as contained in Appendix 2;

(b)         The revisions to the adopted Proposals Map, as contained in Appendix 3.

Councillor David Bard introduced this item, which recommended the adoption of the Site Specific Policies Development Plan Document. He explained that the Plan could not now be amended and, in response to the suggestion that a decision should be delayed as a change of Government could mean a change in Government policy, he explained that a new Government policy could not be applied retrospectively and that the Plan would still have to be agreed, either by the Council or by the Secretary of State, for which a fee would be charged. Whilst it was recognised that not all the recommendations of Councillors had been accepted, it was understood that to reject the whole plan could mean that important concessions regarding the rejection of development throughout the District would be lost.

Council thanked the Planning Policy Manager and his team for their work carried out in the drawing up of the Plan.

A recorded vote was requested and supported by six members.

A vote was taken and with 32 votes in favour, nine against and 7 abstentions Council RESOLVED TO ADOPT

(a)         The Site Specific Policies Development Plan, as contained in Appendix 2;

(b)         The revisions to the adopted Proposals Map, as contained in Appendix 3.

Voting was as follows:

For the Recommendations:

Councillor David Bard                              Councillor Richard Barrett

Councillor Val Barrett                         Councillor John Batchelor

Councillor Anthony Berent            Councillor David Bird

Councillor Francis Burkitt            Councillor Brian Burling

Councillor Pippa Corney              Councillor Simon Edwards

Councillor Susan Ellington                      Councillor Janice Guest

Councillor Roger Hall                               Councillor Stephen Harangozo

Councillor Liz Heazell                                    Councillor Mark Howell

Councillor Sebastian Kindersley            Councillor Janet Lockwood

Councillor Mervyn Loynes                        Councillor Ray Manning

Councillor David McCraith                      Councillor Charlie Nightingale

Councillor Tony Orgee                 Councillor Julia Squier

Councillor Bridget Smith              Councillor Hazel Smith

Councillor Richard Summerfield            Councillor Peter Topping

Councillor Susan van de Ven                  Councillor Bunty Waters

Councillor Tim Wotherspoon              Councillor Nick Wright

Against the recommendations

Councillor Frances Amrani            Councillor Thomas Bygott

Councillor Neil Davies                         Councillor Douglas de Lacey

Councillor Sandra Doggett                       Councillor Sally Hatton

Councillor Mike Mason                 Councillor Deborah Roberts

Councillor Neil Scarr

Abstentions

Councillor Trisha Bear                 Councillor Jonathan Chatfield

Councillor James Hockney                      Councillor Peter Johnson

Councillor David Morgan              Councillor Lorraine Morgan

Councillor John Williams

Council NOTED

(a)         The Sustainability Appraisal Adoption Statement as contained in Appendix 4; and

(b)         The Habitats Habitat Regulations Assessment Screening Reports for the Site Specific Policies DPD and for the Housing Shortfall sites as contained in Appendices 5 and 6.

To consider the recommendations of the Council, to be tabled at the meeting, in respect of responding to the housing shortfall identified by the Site Specific Policies DPD Examination Inspectors.

The report, recommendations and appendices considered by the Council were circulated to all Members with the Council Agenda. They are available to view using the following link to the Council's website, www.scambs.gov.uk. Additional hard copies are also available from Democratic Services, telephone (01954) 713016, e-mail democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to consider the Council’s recommendations and agree a response to the Examination Inspectors setting out South Cambridgeshire District Council’s preferred means of addressing the housing shortfall, subject to authority to make any further technical amendments being delegated to the Corporate Manager for Planning and New Communities.

Cabinet RESOLVED that:

1. The responses to representations included in Appendices B, C and D to the Council report be agreed, including changes to the preferred sites and policies.

2. The updated housing land supply position results in a residual housing

shortfall of 1,120 dwellings

3. The capacity of the NW Cambridge Area Action Plan for the purposes of

the housing shortfall be 65 dwellings but that discussions continue to

explore the potential for provision to be up to 800 dwellings by 2016 in the

district

4. That the following preferred sites be recommended to be allocated in the

Site Specific Policies DPD examination Inspectors’ report (subject to the changes

set out in Appendix B and summarised in the report to Council):

i. 3 sites at Orchard Park, Cambridge, subject to the inclusion of a Grampian Condition to the effect that no residential development shall take place above the amount already approved until the A14 improvement programme relevant to the site has been completed.

ii. Land between Huntingdon Road and Histon Road

(Council’s revised boundary)

iii. Powell’s Garage, Woollards Lane, Great Shelford

iv. Ida Darwin Hospital, Fulbourn

5. The Leader of the Council be authorised to write to the Secretary of State to express the Cabinet’s dissatisfaction with the process South Cambridgeshire District Council has undertaken with regard to the current issue, that the Council has undertaken the process reluctantly, and that, through it, the Cabinet considers that public confidence in the robustness of the plan-making process has been eroded.

Cabinet considered the recommendations of the Council, made at its immediately preceding meeting, in respect of responding to the housing shortfall identified by the Site Specific Policies DPD Examination Inspectors.

Cabinet supported the Council’s recommendations, subject to the Leader of the Council being requested to make representations to the Secretary of State setting out the Cabinet’s dissatisfaction with the process the Council had been required to undertake, advising that the Council had undertaken the process reluctantly, and that, through it, the Cabinet considered that public confidence in the robustness of the plan-making process had been eroded.

Cabinet wished to record Members’ grateful thanks to the Principal Policy Officer for her hard work in preparing and presenting detailed reports and recommendations to Council and Cabinet.

Councillor Dr DR Bard proposed, Councillor SM Edwards seconded, and Cabinet RESOLVED that:

1. The responses to representations included in Appendices B, C and D to the Council report be agreed, including changes to the preferred sites and policies.

2. The updated housing land supply position results in a residual housing

shortfall of 1,120 dwellings

3. The capacity of the NW Cambridge Area Action Plan for the purposes of

the housing shortfall be 65 dwellings but that discussions continue to

explore the potential for provision to be up to 800 dwellings by 2016 in the

district

4. That the following preferred sites be recommended to be allocated in the

Site Specific Policies DPD examination Inspectors’ report (subject to the changes

set out in Appendix B and summarised in the report to Council):

i. 3 sites at Orchard Park, Cambridge, subject to the inclusion of a Grampian Condition to the effect that no residential development shall take place above the amount already approved until the A14 improvement programme relevant to the site has been completed.

ii. Land between Huntingdon Road and Histon Road

(Council’s revised boundary)

iii. Powell’s Garage, Woollards Lane, Great Shelford

iv. Ida Darwin Hospital, Fulbourn

5. The Leader of the Council be authorised to write to the Secretary of State to express the Cabinet’s dissatisfaction with the process South Cambridgeshire District Council has been required to undertake with regard to the current issue, that the Council has undertaken the process reluctantly, and that, through it, the Cabinet considers that public confidence in the robustness of the plan-making process has been eroded.

To consider the report and appendices A-F of the Executive Director and make a recommendation to Cabinet in respect of the Council’s final preferred sites to recommend to the Inspectors in order to avoid the Site Specific Policies DPD being found ‘unsound’. (attached). 

Index of appendices:

Council RECOMMENDED TO CABINET that:

1. The responses to representations included in Appendices B, C and D to the report be agreed, including changes to the preferred sites and policies.

2. The updated housing land supply position results in a residual housing

shortfall of 1,120 dwellings.

3. The capacity of the NW Cambridge Area Action Plan for the purposes of

the housing shortfall be 65 dwellings but that discussions continue to

explore the potential for provision to be up to 800 dwellings by 2016 in the

district.

4. That the following preferred sites be recommended to be allocated in the

Site Specific Policies DPD examination Inspectors (subject to the changes

set out in Appendix B and summarised in this report):

i. 3 sites at Orchard Park, Cambridge, subject to the inclusion of a Grampian Condition to the effect that no residential development shall take place above the amount already approved until the A14 improvement programme relevant to the site has been completed.

ii. Land between Huntingdon Road and Histon Road (Council’s revised boundary).

iii. Powell’s Garage, Woollards Lane, Great Shelford

iv. Ida Darwin Hospital, Fulbourn

Council considered a report and appendices setting out the results of public consultation on draft preferred sites to address a housing shortfall of 2,200 dwellings identified by the Site Specific Policies Development Plan Document (DPD) Examination Inspectors and seeking a recommendation to Cabinet in respect of the Council’s final preferred sites to recommend to the Inspectors.

Councillor VG Ford raised concern that she had received a paper copy of the agenda and reports too late to be properly able to read and digest the large number of representations received during the consultation before being expected to make recommendations on key issues for the Council. The Democratic Services Manager advised that the Agenda and reports for the meeting had been published electronically in accordance with the statutory requirement to make relevant papers available five clear working days before the meeting; paper copies had subsequently been sent by first-class post to Members who had been unable to pick up their copies directly from the Council Offices.

The Principal Planning Officer (PPO) introduced the report and recommendations and set out the background which had led to the current position. The inspectors had identified the shortfall as 2,200 dwellings, however subsequent ‘windfall’ completions since this calculation on sites not identified in the Council’s development plan had reduced this shortfall to 1,120 dwellings. Following the identification by the Inspectors of the housing shortfall, officers had undertaken detailed appraisals of possible site options before bringing forward draft preferred sites upon which the Planning and New Communities Portfolio Holders had agreed to consult in October 2008. The subsequent 6-week consultation with the same range of stakeholders consultees as used during the statutory plan-making process had attracted 740 responses, over 600 of which objected to the proposed sites on a range of issues, summarised in paragraph 9 of the report. Some consultees had suggested that the Council’s housing shortfall would increase as a result of the current economic downturn, whilst others considered that the downturn meant no more sites were required. Officers considered that the Council had an obligation to provide adequate land to address its housing targets, and that the DPD would be found unsound by the Inspectors without new sites to make up the shortfall.

The PPO reminded Members that the Council was undertaking an additional discretionary stage within the plan-making process; however, it was considered appropriate to put forward preferred sites to meet the Council’s land supply requirements so as to prevent a void developing in which development would take place under a process known as ‘planning by appeal’ in a piecemeal manner.

Councillor Dr DR Bard, New Communities Portfolio Holder, thanked the PPO for her introduction. He emphasised the importance of the Council putting forward its own proposals as the alternative was the selection of sites by the Inspectors within their subsequent reports, which would be binding on the Council. In addition, he noted that the identification of sites to meet the Council’s full housing allocation would provide a robust defence against government’s proposals  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3

The Planning Portfolio Holder and New Communities Portfolio Holder jointly RESOLVED that the followings documents be submitted for public consultation:

·                 Draft public consultation document contained at Appendix 1 to the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and Sustainable Communities) and Planning Policy Manager

·                 Technical Annex at Appendix 2 to the said report

·                 Supplement to the Final Sustainability Appraisal contained at Appendix 3 to the said report.

The Planning Portfolio Holder and New Communities Portfolio Holder jointly DELEGATED to the Corporate Manager (Planning and Sustainable Communities) authority to make any further technical amendments to the Responding to a Housing Shortfall documents.

The Planning Portfolio Holder and New Communities Portfolio Holder considered a detailed report seeking their authority to undertake public consultation prior to informing the Site Specific Policies Development Plan Document (DPD) Examination Inspectors about South Cambridgeshire District Council’s preferred sites for addressing an identified housing shortfall of 2,200 dwellings, thus averting the possibility of the Plan being deemed unsound.

The Principal Planning Policy Officer highlighted the significance of the report, and the consequences of having to restart the Plan-making process.  She outlined the procedure followed by officers in identifying the additional sites being presented to the Portfolio Holders for consideration, namely

·             Arbury Park (now Orchard Park) (three sites)

·             North West Cambridge Area Action Plan

·             “NIAB Extra”

·             Great Shelford, Powells Garage

·             Fulbourn (Ida Darwin Hospital site)

If the sites listed above were able to accommodate the numbers of dwellings estimated by 2016, the shortfall would either be met in full, if the relevant sections of the A14 improvements were carried out in parallel, or there would be a residual shortfall in the region of 200 dwellings if they were carried out one after the other. It was considered that any such residual shortfall would be met by planning permissions granted by the time the Council recommended its preferred sites to the Inspectors early in 2009.

It was currently anticipated that public consultation would start around the end of October this year, with a recommendation being presented to Council in February 2009.  The Inspectors would make a final and binding decision.

The Principal Planning Policy Officer addressed the following points made by a member in attendance, namely

·             Consequences of an identified site not becoming available for development, eg. Arbury Park

·             Impact of the current economic downturn both in house building and house sales

·             Section 106 heads of terms in relation to Arbury Park

·             Partnership working with Cambridge City Council

She informed members that, depending on the Highway Agency’s timetable for carrying out improvements to the A14, the Council might achieve a housing surplus without Arbury Park.  If further sites had to be identified, then officers would have to re-examine the sequential list, of which Cambourne was part though the least sustainable of rural centres.  While acknowledging that the current economic climate was a challenge, the Principal Planning Policy Officer informed members that, in the absence of government guidance to the contrary, and having received no indication from the Inspectors that the shortfall should be reviewed, such negative economic conditions had been set aside in the context of addressing the Inspectors’ concerns.  Section 106 expectations would be kept under constant review, as mechanisms were developed to embrace an evolving Masterplan.  Greater certainty about the future of the NIAB site would be important in addressing public perception.

The Principal Planning Policy Officer addressed the following point made by a member in attendance, namely

·             The implications of an anticipated review of the boundary between South Cambridgeshire and the city of Cambridge

She informed members that officers were in dialogue with the Government Office for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15

The New Communities Portfolio Holder at the joint portfolio meeting at 10am on 6^th October will be recommended to authorise for public consultation sufficient preferred sites to meet a housing shortfall in the district of 2,200 dwellings to be included in the Site Specific Policies (SSP) DPD.

A shortfall was identified by the LDF Inspectors firstly in the context of the Core Strategy Development Plan Document examination and then more recently at the Site Specific Policies DPD examination where the figure has been increased, primarily to take account of current predicted timing of delivery at Northstowe.

In accordance with the development sequence in the adopted Core Strategy, the options being considered lie on the edge of Cambridge and at the Rural Centres of Cambourne, Fulbourn, Gt Shelford/Stapleford, Histon/Impington and Sawston.  Northstowe is excluded from the shortfall search because much of the shortfall arises from the Inspectors’ conclusion on the timing of development at the new town.

This significant piece of work is being undertaken at the Inspectors’ request, who have advised that without further allocations the SSPDPD will be found unsound.  This is an unusual and additional stage in the plan making process.  All Members are invited to attend the Portfolio meeting.  The officer report will set out the preferred and rejected sites.  It is intended to carry out public consultation by the end of the year and report the results of consultation and any proposed changes to the preferred sites to a special meeting of Council in the new year, that will make recommendations to a special Cabinet meeting to decide the Council’s advice to the Inspectors.  The Inspectors will make a final decision on the additional housing allocations in their binding report to the Council.

Thur 22 May, 10am. 

LDF - Site Specific Policies DPD Examination

Land between Huntingdon Road, Histon Road and the A14

This site, also known as the NIAB site, will be the subject of a Local Development Framework inspector's examination hearing on 22 May.  This follows a main hearing into objections held in November 2007 and a technical hearing in March 2008.  This further hearing is specifically an opportunity for those who made representations to the Objection Site consultation held in June 2007 to appear before the Inspector and raise any matters relating to the objection site.  Very few representors have taken up the opportunity to appear at the examination but a limited number of parties will appear at the public hearing on 22 May.

Location - Swansley Room

Contact - Caroline Hunt, email: caroline.hunt@scambs.gov.uk  tel: 01954 713196

Thur 22 May, 10am. 

LDF - Site Specific Policies DPD Examination

Land between Huntingdon Road, Histon Road and the A14

This site, also known as the NIAB site, will be the subject of a Local Development Framework inspector's examination hearing on 22 May.  This follows a main hearing into objections held in November 2007 and a technical hearing in March 2008.  This further hearing is specifically an opportunity for those who made representations to the Objection Site consultation held in June 2007 to appear before the Inspector and raise any matters relating to the objection site.  Very few representors have taken up the opportunity to appear at the examination but a limited number of parties will appear at the public hearing on 22 May.

Location - Swansley Room

Contact - Caroline Hunt, email: caroline.hunt@scambs.gov.uk  tel: 01954 713196