Agenda item

The report considered at the Planning Portfolio Holder Meeting on 17 November 2015 is attached.

The Planning Portfolio Holder RECOMMENDED to Council that the Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee be wound up and requests further consideration of committee arrangements for the new settlements when there is more clarity about the timing of the relevant strategic decisions.

Council AGREED that the Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee be wound up and requested further consideration of committee arrangements for the new settlements when there was more clarity about the timing of the relevant strategic decisions.

Councillor Robert Turner, Portfolio Holder for Planning, presented a report which provided the Council with an opportunity to consider the future function of the Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee.  He said that the Committee had been successful for what it needed to do in relation to the new town of Northstowe, but it felt that it was now time for the body to be disestablished.  He therefore proposed that the Committee be wound up and that Council requested further consideration of committee arrangements for the new settlements when there was more clarity about the timing of the relevant strategic decisions. 

Councillor Lynda Harford seconded the proposal.

The following points were made in debating the proposition:

·         the proposal for the Committee to be wound up was premature and should be given further consideration;

·         the Council’s Planning Committee was very strong and fair, with Members at the District Council being more aware of planning, particularly the technical implications of Section 106 Agreements and development control;

·         the new town of Northstowe was moving from the development control process to the delivery process, so it was the right time for the Committee to be disbanded;

·         some Members of the Joint Development Control Committee had been involved with this development from the outset and would like to see it through;

·         Councillor Lynda Harford, Planning Committee Chairman, said that Northstowe was in a transitional period and there may be applications for the Planning Committee to determine should the Joint Development Control Committee be disbanded.  She indicated that she may be willing to use her discretion to allow Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee Members to speak on applications relevant to the town of Northstowe in order that their knowledge and experience was not lost.

Councillor Tim Wotherspoon in his capacity as Chairman of the Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee took this opportunity to pay tribute to those Members of the County Council and District Council who had served on the Committee.

Voting on the proposition, with 34 votes in favour, 13 votes against and 3 abstentions, Council AGREED that the Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee be wound up and requested further consideration of committee arrangements for the new settlements when there was more clarity about the timing of the relevant strategic decisions.

Enough Members as prescribed in the Council’s Standing Orders requested a recorded vote.  Votes were therefore cast as follows:

In favour

Councillors David Bard, Anna Bradnam, Francis Burkitt, Tom Bygott, Grenville Chamberlain, Graham Cone, Pippa Corney, Christopher Cross, Kevin Cuffley, Sue Ellington, Andrew Fraser, Roger Hall, Lynda Harford, Roger Hickford, James Hockney, Mark Howell, Sebastian Kindersley, Mervyn Loynes, Ray Manning, Mick Martin, Raymond Matthews, David McCraith, Charles Nightingale, Tony Orgee, Tim Scott, Ben Shelton, Bridget Smith, Richard Turner, Robert Turner, Bunty Waters, Aidan Van de Weyer, John Williams, Tim Wotherspoon and Nick Wright.

Against

Councillors Henry Batchelor, Nigel Cathcart, Neil Davies, Jose Hales, Philippa Hart, Tumi Hawkins, Caroline Hunt, Douglas de Lacey, Cicely Murfitt, Alex Riley, Deborah Roberts, Hazel Smith and Edd Stonham.

Abstention

Councillors Val Barrett, Janet Lockwood and Des O’Brien.

(Note – Councillor Robin Page was not present during the vote for this item).