Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

The Planning Portfolio Holder signed, as a correct record, the minutes of he meeting held on 9 September 2014.

Appendices B to J are attached to the online version of this agenda. Visit www.scambs.gov.uk, follow ‘Your Council’ and further links.

The Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report on the Cambridge Northern Fringe East Area Action Plan Issues and Options Report for consultation jointly with Cambridge City Council.

Julian Sykes, Ueban Extensions Project Manager with Cambridge City Council, attended the meeting. He tabled the following replacement Question 29:

“…c) Private Rented Accommodation 8.27

Recently there have been market moves to actively provide more private rented accommodation in new developments and new models of this are emerging, particularly in London. This should not be confused or assumed as an alternative to affordable housing. However, the AAP could specifically seek to encourage provision of this type of accommodation. Further investigations will be needed into the available delivery models for new private rented accommodation, the financial considerations, and fundamentally the implications for place making and economic/social mix of the future residential community. As well as private housebuilders and developers, other providers could include local authorities and registered providers.

Private Rented Accommodation:

Proposed Options:

Option A: Allow the market to deliver private rented accommodation in response to demand, and do not provide guidance in the AAP

Option B: Seek to encourage new models for the delivery of private rented accommodation that will have no adverse implications for place making and economic/social mix of the future residential community

Question 29

Which policy option on private rented accommodation do you prefer and why?”

In line with delegated authority for both South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council, precise terminology was likely to differ as circumstances demanded.

Those present discussed a number of issues prompted by the consultation.

The Planning Portfolio Holder:

1.    Agreed the Cambridge Northern Fringe East Area Action Plan Issues and Options (CNFE AAP I&O) Report for consultation jointly with Cambridge City Council (Appendix A of the report from the Planning and New Communities Director), subject to the amendment of Question 29

2.    Noted and agreed to publish the supporting evidence base contained in appendices B to H of the report;

3.    Agreed the approach to Consultation and Communications set out in the strategy appended to the report (appendix I); and

4.    Delegated to the Planning and New Communities Director authority to finalise the consultation documents for publication including any minor typographical, formatting, editing or other inconsequential corrections that are necessary, in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder.

The Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report about the Greater Cambridge Planning Charter.

Councillor Lynda Harford was pleased by the extent to which the Charter focussed on the community.

The Planning Portfolio Holder endorsed the Planning Charter, at Appendix 1, as a joint document between Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Appendix A is at the end of the report.

 The Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report requiring him to identify the policies in the submitted Local Plan to be regarded as strategic, and with which a neighbourhood plan would have to comply.  

The Planning Portfolio Holder agreed to propose to the Local Plan examination inspector the following modifications to the Submission South Cambridgeshire Local Plan, that would be subject to public consultation alongside any other modifications at an appropriate time: 

1.    Inclusion of a new appendix to the Submission Local Plan to identify the policies that are strategic for the purposes of neighbourhood planning, as listed in Appendix A of the report from the Planning and New Communities Director; and

2.    Amendment of Policy S/7 Development Frameworks of the Submission Local Plan as set out in paragraph 14 of the report from the Planning and New Communities Director.

Appendix A is at the end of the report.

The Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report detailing the results of the consultation on the Service Level Agreement carried out from 19 September until 30 October 2014.

Following a brief discussion, the Portfolio Holder concluded that many Parish Councils seemed to be awaiting the outcome of the Local Plan Examination before making a decision as to whether or not to explore Neighbourhood Plans.

The Planning Portfolio Holder approved the Service Level Agreement (SLA) template, as set out in Appendix A of the report from the Planning and New Communities Director,  for use with parish councils in the district who are preparing neighbourhood plans, which incorporates additional wording to the SLA as highlighted in bold below:

 Purpose

The purpose of this agreement is to establish the working relationship between the Parish Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. It is intended to help Parish Councils that are preparing a NP and can be adapted by agreement to meet the needs of different Parish Councils recognising that each NP will reflect the issues for a particular area.

The AMR is attached to the online version of the agenda.

The Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report seeking consent to publish the Local Development Framework Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) 2013-2014 (Part 1) on the Council’s website.

The AMR included the Council’s housing trajectory setting out predicted completions each year to 2031 and the Council’s five-year housing land supply position. The Senior Planning Policy Officer referred to the update report, which referred to a meeting on 28 October 2014 at which the Joint Strategic Transport and Spatial Planning Group had considered the South Cambridgeshire, Cambridge City and Greater Cambridge housing trajectories. At the meeting, it had been agreed that a note would be added to both the South Cambridgeshire and Greater Cambridge housing trajectories to read: that, as part of the Greater Cambridge City Deal, the partners had committed to delivering 1,000 additional new homes on rural exception sites by 2031. These additional dwellings had not been included in the housing trajectory. As a result, an explanatory note should have been added to the bottom of figures 4.8 and 4.10 of the AMR 2013-2014 (Part 1).

The Planning Portfolio Holder:

1.    approved the contents of the Annual Monitoring Report 2013-2014 (Part 1) (included as Appendix 1) for publication, subject to inclusion of the revised figures contained in the Update report; and

2.    delegated any further minor editing changes to the Annual Monitoring Report to the Director of Planning and New Communities where they were technical matters.

The Service Plan 2014-15 is attached to the online version of the agenda.

The Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report seeking his approval of proposed priorities for the Planning Service for 2015-16.

The Planning and New Communities Director said that the Housing and Planning and New Communities Services were working together on a Strategy addressing the meeds of Travellers. Provision would also be made to reduce the adverse impact of the A10 and A505.

The Planning Portfolio Holder approved the proposed priorities for the Planning and New Communities Service Plan 2015-16, as amended.

The Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report seeking comments on the Council’s Response to Government consultation entitled Planning and travellers: proposed changes to planning policy and guidance.

Those present supported the draft consultation response with the exception of the proposed response to question 1 (“Do you agree that the planning definition of travellers should be amended to remove the words ‘or permanently’ to limit it to those who have a nomadic habit of life?  If not, why not?”).

Those present expressed a number of concerns about the possible implications of the proposed change in definition on extended families, children’s education and other matters. While they accepted that some travellers no longer travelled, or now lived in houses or on long established family plots, Councillor Nick Wright (Portfolio Holder with responsibility for Traveller issues other than welfare) said it was important to treat all members of the settled and travelling communities equally and fairly when assessing special circumstances in planning terms.  

The Planning Portfolio Holder agreed the response to the consultation questions set out in the report from the Planning and New Communities Director, subject to any comments on the proposed response in general and the response to Question 1 in particular being submitted by Members to officers by 21 November 2014.

The Planning Portfolio Holder received and noted a report containing information about performance to 30 September 2014.

Those present discussed a number of issues, including staffing and process.

The Planning Portfolio Holder is asked to comment on the suggested programme of meetings up to, and including, May 2015.

The Planning Portfolio Holder agreed that his next scheduled meeting shall be on Tuesday 3 February 2015 at 2.00pm.

The Planning Portfolio Holder said he would call special meetings if necessary to formulate a response to issues raised by the Local Plan Examination.

Officers would develop a Work Programme for the Portfolio, including the issue of payments made to Parish Councils by virtue of Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.