Agenda, decisions and minutes

While noting that the meeting was, in effect, a special meeting of the New Communities Portfolio Holder only, Councillor David Bard requested that it be treated as a scheduled Planning and New Communities Portfolio Holders' meeting and that the minutes record an apology for absence from Councillor Nick Wright, Planning Portfolio Holder.  

There were no declarations of interest. 

The Portfolio Holders are asked to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 1 September 2009 as a correct record.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 1 September 2009 were a correct record, and signed them accordingly. 

Appendices 4 and 5 relate to all three SPDs.  Appendices 1, 2, 3 and 6 have been attached to the SPDs to which they relate.  All appendices are attached to the electronic version of the agenda on the Council’s website. 

The New Communities Portfolio Holder agreed the following documents for public consultation:

·         Draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document

·         Draft District Design Guide: High Quality and Sustainable Development in South Cambridgeshire Supplementary Planning Document

·         Draft Landscape in New Developments Supplementary Planning Document

authority being given to the Corporate Manager (Planning and Sustainable Communities)  to make minor amendments, as required.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder considered a report seeking his authority to submit the following Supplementary Planning Documents to public consultation, namely

·         Affordable Housing

·         District Design Guide: High Quality and Sustainable Development in South Cambridgeshire

·         Landscape in New Developments

Affordable Housing

In response to a question from the Portfolio Holder, the Planning Policy Manager summarised the possible implications for the Affordable Housing SPD arising from the awaited outcome of the ongoing appeal relating to Clay and Glebe Farm.  The New Communities Portfolio Holder noted the reference to the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes.

District Design Guide: High Quality and Sustainable Development in South Cambridgeshire

Subject to minor layout and textual amendments being made, the New Communities Portfolio Holder endorsed this SPD.

Landscape in New Developments

In response to a question from the New Communities Portfolio Holder, the Conservation Manager explained the different Landscape Character Areas classification used in this SPD and the District Design Guide SPD.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder agreed the following documents for public consultation:

·         Draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document

·         Draft District Design Guide: High Quality and Sustainable Development in South Cambridgeshire Supplementary Planning Document

·         Draft Landscape in New Developments Supplementary Planning Document

authority being given to the Corporate Manager (Planning and Sustainable Communities)  to make minor amendments, as required.

The Consultation draft is attached to the electronic version of the agenda on the Council’s website. 

The New Communities Portfolio Holder agreed, for public consultation, the draft Statement of Community Involvement, authority being given to the Corporate Manager (Planning and Sustainable Communities) to make minor amendment, where necessary.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder considered a report seeking his agreement for the draft Statement of Community Involvement  (SCI) to be published for consultation.

The document effectively supported the type of public involvement already carried out by the Council.  However, the Planning Policy Manager said that, within cost constraints, there was scope for further enhancement, one example being in consulting with ‘hard to reach’ groups throughout the district.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder agreed, for public consultation, the draft Statement of Community Involvement, authority being given to the Corporate Manager (Planning and Sustainable Communities) to make minor amendment, where necessary.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder agreed that South Cambridgeshire District Council should respond to St. Ednondsbury Borough Council’s Core Strategy Draft Submission Document in the following terms:

1.    Object to Policy CS6

East of England Plan Policy H3 Provision for Gypsies and Travellers requires the provision of a minimum of 20 additional pitches in St Edmundsbury between 2006 and 2011.  The supporting text to Policy CS6 only refers to making provision for up to 20 pitches by 2011.  The wording up to 20 pitches restricts provision to no more than 20 pitches.  This is not consistent with Policy H3, which requires local authorities to provide at least 1,247 net additional residential pitches by 2011 to provide for the existing backlog.  The text at paragraph 4.77 should therefore be amended to be consistent with the requirements in Policy H3. 

East of England Plan Policy H3 also requires appropriate provision of pitches to continue beyond 2011, in order to accommodate household growth.  This is addressed through the requirement for a 3% compound annual growth rate following regional pitch distribution.  This creates an additional requirement for 17 pitches for the period 2011 to 2021.  The supporting text to Policy CS6 makes no provision for pitches beyond 2011, and should therefore be amended to be consistent with the requirements in Policy H3. 

Policy H3 requires local authorities to work together to establish a network of Transit pitches, requiring 160 pitches across the region by 2011; the location and size of sites should be defined following local studies.  Suffolk is required to provide 20 additional pitches; provision should include the Ipswich / Felixstowe area.  The supporting text to Policy CS6 makes no reference to Transit sites other than these will be identified through Area Action Plans and the Rural Site Allocations DPD.  This does not conform to Policy H3, which requires local studies to determine the location and size of sites.  The supporting text should therefore be amended to recognise this and demonstrate how the distribution of these sites will be addressed and delivered.

Policy H4 Provision for Travelling Showpeople requires 184 net additional plots for Travelling Showpeople by 2011, together with a compound increase of 1.5% between 2011 and 2021.  Suffolk is required to provide 9 additional plots to 2011 in Suffolk Coastal and elsewhere, and 4 plots between 2011 and 2021.  The Core Strategy makes no reference to the level of need that should provided for, or how this need will be addressed across the county, and should be amended accordingly.

In the same way that the district’s housing requirement is addressed in Policy CS1, provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople should be addressed within policy and not in the supporting text.  Whilst it is recognised that the actual provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople will be addressed through the Area Action Plans and Rural Site Allocations DPD, there should be an overarching policy in the Core Strategy setting out the numbers to be provided during the plan period.

As drafted,  ...  view the full decision text for item 30.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder considered a report seeking his agreement to the proposed response to St Edmundsbury Borough Council on their Local Development Framework documents.

He highlighted the implications for the A1307 of major development taking place in the Haverhill area, and supported the proposal for partnership working to secure appropriate infrastructure improvements, especially with regard to highway safety.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder agreed that South Cambridgeshire District Council should respond to St. Edmundsbury Borough Council’s Core Strategy Draft Submission Document in the following terms:

1.    Object to Policy CS6

East of England Plan Policy H3 Provision for Gypsies and Travellers requires the provision of a minimum of 20 additional pitches in St Edmundsbury between 2006 and 2011.  The supporting text to Policy CS6 only refers to making provision for up to 20 pitches by 2011.  The wording up to 20 pitches restricts provision to no more than 20 pitches.  This is not consistent with Policy H3, which requires local authorities to provide at least 1,247 net additional residential pitches by 2011 to provide for the existing backlog.  The text at paragraph 4.77 should therefore be amended to be consistent with the requirements in Policy H3. 

East of England Plan Policy H3 also requires appropriate provision of pitches to continue beyond 2011, in order to accommodate household growth.  This is addressed through the requirement for a 3% compound annual growth rate following regional pitch distribution.  This creates an additional requirement for 17 pitches for the period 2011 to 2021.  The supporting text to Policy CS6 makes no provision for pitches beyond 2011, and should therefore be amended to be consistent with the requirements in Policy H3. 

Policy H3 requires local authorities to work together to establish a network of Transit pitches, requiring 160 pitches across the region by 2011; the location and size of sites should be defined following local studies.  Suffolk is required to provide 20 additional pitches; provision should include the Ipswich / Felixstowe area.  The supporting text to Policy CS6 makes no reference to Transit sites other than these will be identified through Area Action Plans and the Rural Site Allocations DPD.  This does not conform to Policy H3, which requires local studies to determine the location and size of sites.  The supporting text should therefore be amended to recognise this and demonstrate how the distribution of these sites will be addressed and delivered.

Policy H4 Provision for Travelling Showpeople requires 184 net additional plots for Travelling Showpeople by 2011, together with a compound increase of 1.5% between 2011 and 2021.  Suffolk is required to provide 9 additional plots to 2011 in Suffolk Coastal and elsewhere, and 4 plots between 2011 and 2021.  The Core Strategy makes no reference to the level of need that should provided for, or how this need will be addressed across the county, and should be amended accordingly.

In the same way that the district’s housing requirement is addressed in Policy CS1, provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople should  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

The Portfolio Holder will maintain, for agreement at each meeting, a Forward Plan identifying all matters relevant to the Portfolio which it is believed are likely to be the subject of consideration and / or decision by the Portfolio Holder, or recommendation to, or referral by, the Portfolio Holder to Cabinet, Council, or any other constituent part of the Council.   The plan will be updated as necessary.  The Portfolio Holder will be responsible for the content and accuracy of the forward plan.

 The New Communities Portfolio Holder received the Forward Plan attached to the agenda.  He noted that the special meeting likely to be required for the consideration of responses to consultation relating to the Gypsy and Traveller DPD was more likely to take place in January or March 2010 than in December 2009.  He also noted that a special meeting would be needed in order to address issues arising out of proposals relating to the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement scheme.

5 November 2009 at 10.00am 

Those present noted that the next scheduled Planning and New Communities Portfolio Holders' meeting would be on Thursday 5 November 2009, starting at 10.00am.