Agenda item

(Director of Neighbourhoods) to consider the attached report.

The Interim Assistant Director (Forward Planning), Alison Blom-Cooper introduced the update on the Local Plan. It was noted that the formal 6 week Regulation 18 consultation on the Draft Local Plan finished on 12 December 2016. Since the Council decision to consult on the Draft Local Plan on 18 October 2016, Draft Local Plan policies were being treated as a material planning consideration when determining planning applications. 

A further detailed report will be provided to cabinet following the conclusion of the analysis of all responses received. All responses would also be available for public inspection as soon as possible following completion of the analysis.

Following consideration and further analysis of the comments received in response to the Draft Local Plan consultation, the next stage would be to prepare a plan for publication and to publish it under Regulation 19.  This would be the document that the Council considers was ready for examination.  There would also be more member workshops to come.

 A Developer Forum had been established alongside the progression of the Draft Local Plan to provide a basis for ongoing discussions with relevant landowners, site promoters and stakeholders.  It was important that the Council liaised closely with relevant landowners and promoters of the sites proposed for allocation within the Draft Local Plan, and with other stakeholders as required.

The Developer Forum was split into two groups, one to address the Strategic Sites around Harlow, and the other to consider those that are subject to a draft allocation across the rest of Epping Forest District.  Two rounds of meetings have been held to date, one on 2 December 2016 and one on 24 February 2017 when an update was provided on the Garden Town Programme, and the award of funding to EFDC, Harlow Council and East Herts District Council to deliver the growth required.

Officers from Harlow and East Herts District Councils were present to provide updates on their current positions to the group addressing the Strategic Sites around Harlow. Harlow Council had made clear they were currently reviewing the current objections held to the inclusion of sites to the south and west of Harlow, within Epping Forest District, in the Epping Forest District Draft Local Plan.  East Herts District Council would submit their Plan for Examination on 31 March 2017. 

The Council was successful (together with East Herts and Harlow Councils) in securing £500,000 Garden Towns funding from DCLG for the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town to support the delivery of strategic sites in and around Harlow.  This includes the four strategic sites to the South, West and East of Harlow in this District.  A joint delivery team was being established with EFDC as the lead authority and the post of Project Director was currently being recruited.

The Council had also been allocated funding by DCLG to support community led housing developments. The total sum allocated was £32,211 with 50% paid for 2016/17 and a further tranche available subject to satisfactory evidence that the money was being spent in accordance with the objectives.  Officers were working with colleagues from East Herts and Uttlesford District Councils, with the support of ATLAS, to collaborate on the use of the funds received.  

Councillor Patel asked for clarification on the Strategic Masterplan (SMP). The Planning Policy Manager said that the SMP was separate to the Local Plan. The Local Plan set out the strategic over-plan while the SMP sat alongside the Local Plan and was not statutory and would provide a bridge to the Local Plan. Council would have a role in agreeing any development and how they relate to each other and also meet our needs. Ms Blom-Cooper added that they would like have members involved in the pre-application stage, so it would be scrutinised before it went to a planning committee.

Councillor Baldwin asked how much control we had over the development of a site and could we use the local development guidelines as opposed to the national development guidelines. He was told that we controlled the sites we allocated, but not the developers. Nationally there was a push to use smaller developers.

Councillor Baldwin queried the selling of leaseholds for freeholds after a time. Could we ensure developers sold freehold properties? The Planning Policy Manager replied that the government was pushing the leaseholds as people could buy part of the property and thus get people on the housing ladder. Councillor Baldwin said that he would like to see ‘Common hold’ pushed. Councillor Bassett said that Common hold was very restrictive and not flexible, but we could not influence developers.

Councillor Brady asked if the large sites around Harlow failed, how would that affect EFDC. A lot of this would also rely on whether Junction 7a would be put in. Ms Blom-Cooper replied that they were looking for around 17, 000 new homes around Harlow and there were concerns about roads and congestion. Harlow had now signed the MOV on this and were looking to build it as ‘Harlow Garden Town with a sustainable transport corridor coming in from the north.

Councillor Whitehouse said that the developer’s forum had caused concerns. It seemed that we met with developers on sites that we had not made decisions about.  She was told that officers were very conscious of the process, some sites may change but they must start now bringing forward sites to make the Local Plan stand. Officers were about to start a new site selection process with about 60 new sites to look at. There will be member workshops on these new sites. The end of the process was very near (at the end of this year) and officer will have to do a lot of work before this on sites. Infrastructure needed to be sorted out and to do this officers would need to work with the developers on what they would need to provide. This also stopped them doing the things that we did not want them to do.

Councillor Neville asked that when a new site came in and the public were consulted how did we take their views into account. He was told that would depend on the objections received and where the sites were etc. also all members could comment on the site selections.

Councillor Webster commented that members had spent a lot of hours on this in various workshops etc. and they had now reached this point. What would happen if some of these sites were flooded out, how would we square this with residents? Ms Blom-Cooper said that that officers would look at the sites proposed and come to a conclusion on their suitability.

Agreed: that the list of the 60 new sites would be put in the Council Bulletin when officers had the list settled.

RESOLVED:

That the update on the Local Plan was noted.