Agenda item

S/2011/14/RM - Northstowe (Land to the East of B1050 and Longstanton, West of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway (CGB) and North Of Oakington)

Decision:

Further to the former Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee’s  resolution on 29 July 2015 to grant planning permission (Minute 6 refers), the Planning Committee:

 

1.               Approved the amendments to the Legal Agreement entered into by virtue of Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990  in relation to affordable housing, and authorised officers on this basis to complete, with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), an amended Section 106 Agreement, securing the following:

 

a.     350 affordable rented homes (10% of the total number of dwellings in Phase 2) to be delivered at an accelerated rate such that the affordable rented homes make up 20% of each of the early housing parcels of Phase 2;

 

b.     1,400 starter homes (40% of the total number of dwellings in Phase 2), and;

 

c.      A review mechanism that would apply following the grant of Reserved Matters approvals for 700 starter homes, such review mechanism addressing any broadening of the definition of starter homes;

 

2.               delegated any further minor editing of the Section 106 Agreement to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development;

 

3.               Noted the approach to binding third party land within the Section 106 Agreement, and approved a new planning Condition in the following terms:

 

“No development shall commence on any part of the Site not bound by the Planning Agreement unless and until all estates and interests in such part of the Site that need to be bound to ensure satisfactory performance / enforcement of the obligations contained in the Planning Agreement  have been bound  to the satisfaction  (as confirmed in writing) of the Local Planning Authority.

 

Not to Occupy more than 1800 Dwellings across the Northstowe Phase 1 Site and the Site until all estates and interests in that part of the Site required for the provision of Sports Hub West and the land required for the primary access to the Second Primary School Land  that need to be bound to ensure satisfactory performance / enforcement of the obligations contained in the Planning Agreement  have been bound  to the satisfaction  (as confirmed in writing) of the Local Planning Authority”; and

 

4.               noted that the HCA intended to own and manage the burial ground, and asked Officers to discuss further with the applicant the trigger point for delivering the burial ground sooner than had been previously envisaged.

Minutes:

Members received a briefing, and visited the site, on 6 December 2016.

 

The Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development introduced the report by summarising the work carried out by South Cambridgeshire District Council and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), following a Prime Ministerial Statement in January 2016, to ensure that the concept of starter homes could be used to increase the overall provision of affordable housing on Phase 2. As a result, 50% of the total number of dwellings on the Phase 2 site would now be available at less than market value. The Joint Director also drew Members’ attention to the HCA’s commitment to providing a burial ground on Phase 3 land prior to completion of Phase 2.

 

The New Communities Team Leader made a PowerPoint presentation. The presentation referred to the following:

 

·        The importance of Northstowe to the Council’s growth strategy and its positive impact on the five-year supply of housing land

·        The extent of the proposals within the Legal Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990

·        The implications of Paragraph 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework

·        Starter homes as defined by the Housing and Planning Act 2016

·        Proposed changes in relation to the provision of affordable housing on Phase 2

·        A mechanism to bind third-party land

·        A commitment by the HCA to own and manage the burial ground

 

In response to concern about the HCA’s ability to pay for maintenance of the burial ground, and a risk that the HCA might apply to vary the Section 106 Agreement, the Planning Lawyer said that the burial ground on Phase 3 land would be secured by pre-Condition, and the HCA would be entitled, within a period of five years from planning consent being granted, to apply to be released from that Condition if, for any reason, the land was no longer required. By way of clarification of a further point, the New Communities Team Leader said that details of the delivery of the burial ground, including the timing for delivery, would be required prior to completion of the 1,500th dwelling on the Phase 2 land.

 

The Joint Director said that secondary legislation would be brought forward to define specifically the concepts of market value and discount in relation to starter homes. Caution was voiced about possible, as yet unknown, changes to the definition of starter homes, and the apparent failure of starter homes to address social sustainability. The Joint Director said that it was the Government’s stated intention that starter homes would be reclassified as affordable homes.

 

Councillor Tim Wotherspoon (a local Member for Cottenham, Oakington & Westwick and Rampton) addressed the meeting. He described the application before the Committee as a great opportunity, and welcomed the fact that 50% of the dwellings in Phase 2 would now be available at below market value. The aim should be to move away from a straight percentage-based view of affordable housing towards a system of subsidised housing that provided people with a broader housing choice. Councillor Wotherspoon paid tribute to the HCA for taking a financial risk in agreeing to make 10% of the dwellings at Phase 2 available as affordable rented accommodation, and urged the Committee to approve the application.

 

Councillor Alex Riley (the local Member for Longstanton) also addressed the meeting. He expressed disappointment at the absence of a Project Plan. He referred to Paragraph 11 of the report, relating to flood attenuation for Oakington being provided prior to Phase 3. Councillor Riley continued to have doubts about the burial ground. He described starter homes and affordable rented dwellings as unrealistic for many people, especially for those with families. He regretted the absence of social rented properties. In response to a question of clarification from a Committee Member, Councillor Riley expected there to be a drastic shortage of burial space in Longstanton.

 

Opening the Committee debate, Councillor John Batchelor congratulated officers for the measures negotiated by them, but expressed disappointment that they had not been able to secure more social housing. Councillor Sebastian Kindersley also regretted the reduction in traditional affordable housing, but acknowledged that the introduction of starter homes offered some encouragement. Both Councillors concluded that sufficient progress had been made to justify supporting the application.

 

However, Councillor Deborah Roberts said that she would abstain as she saw little evidence of holding the Government and developers to account. She was worried about affordability, and the type of development Northstowe would turn out to be.

 

Councillor Pippa Corney’s concern related to the timing of delivery of the burial ground.

 

Councillor Nick Wright emphasised that Northstowe was a crucial element of the Council’s growth strategy. It would help reduce the shortfall in the five-year supply of housing land, and provide extra facilities. Acknowledging concern about the burial ground, Councillor Wright said, with some humour, that Northstowe was intended to be a community for the living as well.

 

Councillor Robert Turner supported the application. However, with reference to the burial ground, he urged officers and the HCA to be flexible about its future management. He said that the future Northstowe Town Council should be given the option of assuming responsibility for the burial ground. The Joint Director undertook to keep all options open prior to delivery.

 

The Vice-Chairman welcomed the addition of 10% affordable rented accommodation to the 40% of starter homes. He commended all those officers involved in promoting South Cambridgeshire District Council as forward thinking.

 

Further to the former Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee’s resolution on 29 July 2015 to grant planning permission (Minute 6 refers), the Planning Committee:

 

1.               Approved the amendments to the Legal Agreement entered into by virtue of Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990  in relation to affordable housing, and authorised officers on this basis to complete, with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), an amended Section 106 Agreement, securing the following:

 

a.     350 affordable rented homes (10% of the total number of dwellings in Phase 2) to be delivered at an accelerated rate such that the affordable rented homes make up 20% of each of the early housing parcels of Phase 2;

 

b.     1,400 starter homes (40% of the total number of dwellings in Phase 2), and;

 

c.      A review mechanism that would apply following the grant of Reserved Matters approvals for 700 starter homes, such review mechanism addressing any broadening of the definition of starter homes;

 

2.               delegated any further minor editing of the Section 106 Agreement to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development;

 

3.               Noted the approach to binding third party land within the Section 106 Agreement, and approved a new planning Condition in the following terms:

 

“No development shall commence on any part of the Site not bound by the Planning Agreement unless and until all estates and interests in such part of the Site that need to be bound to ensure satisfactory performance / enforcement of the obligations contained in the Planning Agreement  have been bound  to the satisfaction  (as confirmed in writing) of the Local Planning Authority.

 

Not to Occupy more than 1800 Dwellings across the Northstowe Phase 1 Site and the Site until all estates and interests in that part of the Site required for the provision of Sports Hub West and the land required for the primary access to the Second Primary School Land  that need to be bound to ensure satisfactory performance / enforcement of the obligations contained in the Planning Agreement  have been bound  to the satisfaction  (as confirmed in writing) of the Local Planning Authority”; and

 

4.               noted that the HCA intended to own and manage the burial ground, and asked Officers to discuss further with the applicant the trigger point for delivering the burial ground sooner than had been previously envisaged.

Supporting documents: