Agenda, decisions and minutes

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Contact: Ian Senior  08450 450 500

Items
No. Item

13.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

In respect of Minute 15 (Site Specific Policies Development Control Policies Document 2007 – Responding to a housing shortfall):

 

·           Councillor Sandra Doggett declared a personal interest as a member of the Ida Darwin Sports and Social Club in Fulbourn.

 

·           Councillor Nick Wright declared a personal interest because his brother-in-law farmed land adjoining Cambourne.

 

In respect of Minute 21 (Cambridgeshire Quality Charter for Growth), Councillor David Bard declared a personal interest as a member of the group of partners responsible for developing the Cambridgeshire Quality Charter for Growth.

14.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 184 KB

Minutes:

The Planning Portfolio Holder and New Communities Portfolio Holder agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 28th July 2008 were a correct record.

15.

Site Specific Policies DPD Responding to a Housing Shortfall pdf icon PDF 157 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

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.

Minutes:

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.

16.

Financial Monitoring Report for Planning Portfolio Expenditure to 31 August 2008 pdf icon PDF 84 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Planning Portfolio Holder NOTED the report.

17.

Considerate Contractor Scheme pdf icon PDF 132 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Planning Portfolio Holder NOTED the report and approved its contents in principle, but declined making a formal decision pending further consideration of the proposed scheme in an alternative forum. 

Minutes:

The Planning Portfolio Holder NOTED the report and approved its contents in principle.  However, he could not make a final decision until further consideration of the proposed scheme had taken place in the context of the service plan and the action plan that would emerge from the work of the Task and Finish Group.

18.

Financial Monitoring Report for New Communities Portfolio Expenditure to 31 August 2008 pdf icon PDF 82 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The New Communities Portfolio Holder NOTED the report.

19.

Local Development Framework - Supplementary Planning Documents pdf icon PDF 116 KB

Minutes:

The New Communities Portfolio Holder NOTED that there had been a delay in the programme for producing three Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) and the reason for that delay. 

 

In response to a related question from a member in attendance, the Planning Policy Manager said that preparation of the Gypsy and Traveller DPD had been put on hold while officers concentrated on the proposal (now withdrawn) for the Hanley Grange eco-town, and on preparing the detailed report relating to the housing shortfall.  He anticipated that public consultation would take place early in 2009 and that a draft DPD would be available in the second half of that year.

20.

Cambridgeshire Design Guide pdf icon PDF 122 KB

Resolution of general support for Cambridgeshire County Council to apply guidance in the development of new communities

Decision:

The New Communites Portfolio Holder ENDORSED the Cambridgeshire Design Guide for Streets and the Public Realm (October 2007) as guidance in the planning and construction of streets and the public realm in new developments in South Cambridgeshire.  

Minutes:

The New Communities Portfolio Holder considered a report on the Cambridgeshire Design Guide, which set out the key principles and aspirations that should underpin the design of streets and public spaces to be developed in Cambridgeshire.     

 

The New Communities Portfolio Holder ENDORSED the Cambridgeshire Design Guide for Streets and the Public Realm (October 2007) as guidance in the planning and construction of streets and the public realm in new developments in South Cambridgeshire.  

21.

Cambridgeshire Quality Charter for Growth pdf icon PDF 106 KB

Resolution of support to implement the charter principles in the development of new communities

Decision:

The New Communities Portfolio Holder ADOPTED the Cambridgeshire Quality Charter for Growth as a statement of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s aspiration to create major new developments that offer future communities a fulfilling, visually pleasing and environmentally sensitive way of life.

Minutes:

The New Communities Portfolio Holder considered a report on the Cambridgeshire Quality Charter for Growth.

 

The New Communities Portfolio Holder ADOPTED the Cambridgeshire Quality Charter for Growth as a statement of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s aspiration to create major new developments that offer future communities a fulfilling, visually pleasing and environmentally sensitive way of life.

22.

Arbury Park design guidance pdf icon PDF 161 KB

Resolutions of approval of two documents:

·                the Arbury Camp Design Guide    

·                the Arbury Park Northedge Design Guide

Decision:

The New Communities Portfolio Holder APPROVED the Arbury Park Design Guide (March 8, 2007) as guidance in decision-making and development of Arbury Park and in meeting the requirement of schedule 4 of the Section 106 Legal Agreement for Arbury Park to prepare such guidance. 

Minutes:

The New Communities Portfolio Holder considered a report on the Arbury Camp (now “Orchard Park”) Design Guide prepared by John Thompson & Partners for Gallagher Estates and Lands Improvement Holdings PLC.  The Design Guide was a requirement of the Arbury Park Section 106 Legal Agreement (Schedule 4). 

 

The New Communities Portfolio Holder APPROVED the Arbury Park Design Guide (March 8, 2007) as guidance in decision-making and development of Arbury Park and in meeting the requirement of schedule 4 of the Section 106 Legal Agreement for Arbury Park to prepare such guidance. 

23.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 11 November 2008 at 10.00am (Agenda publication Monday 3 November 2008)

Minutes:

 The Planning Portfolio Holder and New communities Portfolio Holder noted that the next scheduled Portfolio Holder meeting would be on Tuesday 11 Novembe5r 2008.