Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Monkfield Room, First Floor. View directions

Contact: Ian Senior  03450 450 500 Email: democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

2.

Minutes of Previous meeting - 8 November 2016 pdf icon PDF 238 KB

Minutes:

The Planning Portfolio Holder signed, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting held on 8 November 2016.

3.

Strategic Sites Supplementary Planning Documents pdf icon PDF 296 KB

Decision:

The Planning Portfolio Holder agreed

 

(a)             That a Supplementary Planning Document be prepared jointly with Cambridge City Council for Land North of Cherry Hinton to the broad timetable set out in paragraphs 19-20 of the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development;

 

(b)             To commence preparation of Supplementary Planning Documents for Waterbeach New Town and Bourn Airfield New Village to the broad timetables set out in paragraphs 21 to 25 of the report; and

 

(c)             The general process for preparing Supplementary Planning Documents contained in paragraph 13 of the report.

 

Minutes:

The Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report setting out options and the process for preparing Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) for Waterbeach New Town and Bourn Airfield New Village and a joint SPD with Cambridge City Council for Land North of Cherry Hinton.

 

Councillor Anna Bradnam raised three points exploring the relationships between SPDs and outline planning applications, the likely timing of planning applications for the two separate elements of Waterbeach New Town, and current location of the northern boundary of the Waterbeach New Town footprint and its proximity to Debby Abbey. In reply to the first point, the Planning Policy Manager said that the function of SPDs was simply to address capacity issues. It was for the development control process to deal with the specifics of individual planning applications. In reply to the second point, the Portfolio Holder said it would be ideal if Waterbeach New Town could be considered holistically but, in reality, the Council had to accept that there were two independent applications. The Planning Policy Manager added that the situation could at least in part be managed by finalising an SPD for the whole of Waterbeach New Town prior to the first application being submitted. In reply to the third point, the Planning Policy Manager said that there had been no realignment of the northern boundary as yet, and that discussions were ongoing between South Cambridgeshire District Council, the developer and Historic England on the basis of the boundary line defined in the draft Local Plan currently subject to public examination.

 

Councillor Philippa Hart referred to paragraph 30 of the report. The Planning Policy Manager reiterated that there were benefits in adopting SPDs as soon as possible, and cautioned against preparing SPDs only once the Local Plan was in place.

 

Councillor Bridget Smith referred to paragraph 4 and wondered whether, in view of the imminent submission of the application relating to the wesern part of the Waterbeach site, an SPD in that case had any value. Councillor Smith asked whether officers should focus instead on preparing an SPD for Bourn Airfield New Village. The Planning Policy Manager highlighted the risk to the Council of not having an SPD in place. SPDs for Waterbeach and Bourn Airfield could be worked upon now, with public consultation taking place as soon as possible.

 

Councillor Smith referred to paragraph 13 and expressed enthusiasm for consultation with interest groups similar to the Local Liaison Forums set up under the Greater Cambridge City Deal. Referring to wording in paragraph 8, she hoped that the Council would show confidence in its leadership in developing new communities and, accordingly, proceed in terms of ‘will’ rather than ‘can’.

 

Councillor Hart referred to paragraph 32 and asked how a switch from preparing Area Action Plans (AAPs) to Supplementary Planning Documents saved money. In reply, the Planning Policy Manager said that SPDs were not subject to public examination whereas AAPs were. In addition, promoters were expected to contribute to the cost of preparing SPDs. In reply  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Submitted South Cambridgeshire Local Plan: Bourn Airfield New Village - Policy SS/6 pdf icon PDF 291 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Planning Portfolio Holder agreed the revised wording of section 7b of Policy SS/6 as reported to Council on the 17 November in the supplementary report entitled ‘supplement in response to the Planning Portfolio Holder’s recommendation to Council’ read as follows, with new text highlighted:

 

“Provide sStrategic landscaping within and beyond the Major Development Area Site to deliver a high quality landscaped setting around the boundary of the settlement to avoid it appearing as part of a ribbon of urban development south of the A428, to maintain the rural nature of the Broadway and ensure separation from Cambourne, and to ensure countryside separation from Caldecote / Highfields and Bourn. The strategic landscaping along the eastern boundary of the Strategic Site south of the existing employment area will include a substantial and continuous woodland belt, including land within the Major Development Site”.

Minutes:

On 17 November 2016, Full Council had decided to submit modifications to the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan Examination Inspectors, to include a number of additional parcels of land within the Major Development Site for Bourn Airfield new village (Policy SS/6).  Full Council also resolved that the Planning Portfolio Holder give further consideration to the wording of section 7b of policy SS/6 Bourn Airfield New Village regarding the provision of a suitable buffer between the new village and Caldecote / Highfields on its eastern boundary and agree the wording to be submitted to the Inspectors.

 

The Scrutiny and Overview Committee Chairman had concurred with the view of officers that the Portfolio Holder could consider this matter without having to give public notice beyond the publication of the Council decision and the Planning Portfolio Holder agenda. In any event, the issue had a direct effect on only one ward.

 

The Planning Portfolio Holder referred to paragraphs 7 and 8 of the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development, and to the revised wording proposed. A comparison was drawn with the buffer zone between Longstanton and Northstowe. In response to Councillors Anna Bradnam and Philippa Hart, the Planning Policy Manager said that details of the tree belt would be considered as part of the drafting of the Supplementary Planning Document.

 

The Planning Portfolio Holder agreed the revised wording of section 7b of Policy SS/6 as reported to Council on the 17 November in the supplementary report entitled ‘supplement in response to the Planning Portfolio Holder’s recommendation to Council’ read as follows, with new text highlighted:

 

ProvideStrategic landscaping within and beyond the Major Development Area Site to deliver a high quality landscaped setting around the boundary of the settlement to avoid it appearing as part of a ribbon of urban development south of the A428, to maintain the rural nature of the Broadway and ensure separation from Cambourne, and to ensure countryside separation from Caldecote / Highfields and Bourn. The strategic landscaping along the eastern boundary of the Strategic Site south of the existing employment area will include a substantial and continuous woodland belt, including land within the Major Development Site”.

5.

Local Development Framework - Annual Monitoring Report 2015-2016 pdf icon PDF 360 KB

Appendix 2 is available by visiting www.scambs.gov.uk and following the links from ‘The Council’.

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Planning Portfolio Holder:

(a)             approved the contents of the Annual Monitoring Report 2015-2016 (included as Appendix 2 (website only)) for publication; and

 

(b)             delegated any further minor editing changes to the Annual Monitoring Report to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development where they are technical matters.

Minutes:

The Planning Portfolio Holder considered the Local Development Framework Annual Monitoring Report 2015-2016 prior to it being published on South Cambridgeshire District Council’s website.

 

Councillor Anna Bradnam referred to paragraph 22 of the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development. The Planning Portfolio Holder said that the Planning Inspector responsible for the public examination of the emerging Local Plans of both South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council had not yet indicated whether the proposed joint trajectory of the two Councils’ five-year land supply would be acceptable or not. The Planning Policy Manager highlighted the fact that, on its own, it was anticipated that South Cambridgeshire District Council would not be able to demonstrate a five-year land supply until 2019. She added that, as the Local Plan would not be adopted without a five-year land supply in place, officers would have to look at other sites if the Inspector rejected the joint trajectory approach.

 

Councillor Philippa Hart asked for a definition of the word ‘delivery’ in this context. In reply, it was stated that it meant that, while construction might be over, the property might not yet be occupied. The Portfolio Holder said that the Council was issuing planning permissions in an effort to increase supply, but was reliant on the construction industry to build and sell properties.

 

The Planning Portfolio Holder:

 

(a)             approved the contents of the Annual Monitoring Report 2015-2016 (included as Appendix 2 (website only)) for publication; and

 

(b)             delegated any further minor editing changes to the Annual Monitoring Report to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development where they are technical matters.

6.

Local Development Scheme Update pdf icon PDF 201 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Planning Portfolio Holder approved the updated Local Development Scheme attached as Appendix A to the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development.

Minutes:

The Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report about the updated Local Development Scheme (LDS) for South Cambridgeshire.

 

Full Council had agreed several modifications to the emerging Local Plan on 17 November 2016.  They included the deletion of any requirement to prepare Area Action Plans for new settlements (Waterbeach New Town and the New Village at Bourn Airfield). Full Council had therefore agreed that these would be removed from the LDS.  The revised LDS, attached to the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development as Appendix A, had been amended to reflect this.   The intention was to produce Supplementary Planning Documents for the New Settlements, but there was no duty to list these within the LDS.The updated LDS also incorporated the latest timetable for the Local Plan, subject to progress with the Local Plan Examination, and a list of neighbourhood areas designated within the district.

 

The Planning Portfolio Holder approved the updated Local Development Scheme attached as Appendix A to the report from the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development.

7.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 206 KB

The Planning Portfolio Holder intends holding four ‘Full Business’ meetings during 2016-17. He will also reserve meeting dates should there be issues relating to the Local Plan that cannot be delayed until the next scheduled meeting.

Minutes:

The Planning Portfolio Holder noted the Work Programme attached to the agenda;

8.

Date of Next Meeting

Tuesday 7 February 2017 at 10.00am

Minutes:

Those present noted that the next Planning Portfolio Holder meeting would be on 7 February 2017, starting at 10.00am

 

Full Business meetings had also been convened for 4 April 2017 and 7 November 2017, both meetings beginning at 10.00am.

 

The meeting provisionally set for 10.00am on 11 July 2017 would be confirmed as soon as possible if a meeting room could be secured.

 

Additional meeting times would be reserved in due course. Additional meetings would be called at these times should there be an urgent need to discuss issues arising out of the Local Plan publc examination.