Issue - meetings

(Place – Cllr. N Bedford) - Report on the North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan – (C-042-2022-23).

(1)  The Cabinet noted the process undertaken and the outputs from the public consultation on the Draft North Weald Airfield Masterplan undertaken between December 2021 and February 2022.

(2) The Cabinet agreed that the North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan be formally endorsed in order for it to be taken into account as an important material consideration in the determination of future planning applications, and to inform pre-application advice, assessing planning and any other development management and implementation related purposes relating to the site.

(3)        The Cabinet agreed that the Planning Services Director, in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder, be authorised to make minor amendments to the North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan, including any mapping and links, prior to publication.

The Place Portfolio Holder introduced the report. The formal consultation on the draft North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan (‘the Strategic Masterplan’) finished on the 6^th February 2022. This was the second stage of public consultation undertaken and concludes the public engagement part of the process to inform the preparation of the Strategic Masterplan.

Since February 2022 the Strategic Masterplan has been subject to extensive review and scrutiny by both the professional team engaged in the drafting of the Strategic Masterplan, and the Council, as Local Planning Authority, to ensure the Strategic Masterplan has incorporated, where necessary and appropriate, the consultation responses. Following this review officers are of the view that the Strategic Masterplan could now be formally endorsed.

It was agreed that the Masterplan would primarily be published electronically as it was a very large document.

It was noted that the employment levels outlined in the masterplan were indicative as to what had been identified currently. Jobs for younger people and local people would be prioritised where possible along with apprenticeships.

Concerns were raised about the number of jobs indicated in the report. They seemed rather high. The council needed to keep control of what type of industry came here, not just warehousing.

Decision:

(1)  The Cabinet noted the process undertaken and the outputs from the public consultation on the Draft North Weald Airfield Masterplan undertaken between December 2021 and February 2022.

(2) The Cabinet agreed that the North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan be formally endorsed in order for it to be taken into account as an important material consideration in the determination of future planning applications, and to inform pre-application advice, assessing planning and any other development management and implementation related purposes relating to the site.

(3)        The Cabinet agreed that the Planning Services Director, in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder, be authorised to make minor amendments to the North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan, including any mapping and links, prior to publication.

Reasons for Proposed Decision:

The Masterplan had undergone extensive scrutiny and where necessary and appropriate changes had been undertaken in accordance with the masterplanning process set out in the Council’s Strategic Masterplanning Briefing Note which was endorsed by the Council’s Cabinet in October 2018. This has included a review of the emerging Strategic Masterplan by EFDC’s Quality Review Panel (QRP) and following receipt of responses to the first and second stages of public consultation. The Strategic Masterplan was considered to be capable of endorsement as an important material consideration in the determination of any planning applications and would be taken into account as such.  It will also be used to inform the provision of pre-application advice and other development related purposes.

Other Options for Action:

To not endorse the North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan as an important material consideration in the determination of planning applications. This could result in a delay in delivering new high quality and sustainable employment floorspace in the District.