Agenda item

(Director of Neighbourhoods) to consider the update on the current position of the Local Plan.

The SC agreed to bring forward this item.

A Blom-Cooper said that this was an item where a regular progress report was made. The methodology for calculating housing need had been published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) – Planning for the right homes in the right places: consultation proposals, 2017 and could be downloaded at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/644955/Planning_for_Homes_consultation_document.pdf

The Forward Planning team had not had time to digest the report yet. A spreadsheet enclosed with the report indicated that for Epping Forest District Council there would be an increase in the number of houses from 514 to 923 a year, which equated to a 40 per cent increase. This was a huge concern that would need to be evaluated. The consultation started on 14 September 2017 and would run until 9 November 2017. The Council would be submitting a response, in addition to a joint response with neighbouring partner authorities, who were similarly affected. The Council had agreed to commission consultants to collate the feedback. Regarding the population and the adjustment to take account of the uplift ratio of house prices to earnings of people in the District, this must be based on salaries in the District, i.e. not London salaries even for those who worked in London. A Blom-Cooper said that she could only surmise that where salaries were higher than house prices, for example as at Oxford, these councils had received low increases. The Council needed to submit its Local Plan by 31 March 2018 and a report would be made to Cabinet at the meeting on 12 October 2017.

The good news was that the key focus for the pre-submission plan and the report detailing the findings of July 2017 were given on the website at: http://www.efdclocalplan.org/ On site selection, the Forward Planning team was looking at a mixture of 168 amended / new sites. The methodology and the sites being assessed were again on the website. Transport modelling of all sites was in the draft Local Plan, and included Highway measures and sustainability that needed to be put in place. The draft report on outdoor playing pitches was slightly behind but all these reports would feed into the infrastructure deliver plan.

There would be a workshop session with local councils, landowners and neighbouring authorities. All the work preparation of the Local Plan including if it was economically viable for developers and that the plan was viable were key pieces of evidence. On other work around employment, the final selection had not been done but four authorities had just been commissioned and this work would feed into the site selection list. Sustainability appraisal work would look at reasonable options and work was ongoing on this.

Habitat assessment was a key issue and the Forward Planning Team was preparing an action plan on how to mitigate this with Epping Forest, particularly air quality issues on future traffic levels and the flow of visitors to the Forest. The Council was leading the work to develop a joint strategy and an action plan, with other relevant local authorities, which would address potential adverse impacts on the integrity of Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC), as required under the Habitat Regulations Act.

The Council would liaise with Natural England on a housing implication strategy about the proposed growth from Gilston on land that could be used for sites in and around Harlow. The Council had not delivered 514 houses a year consistently since 2011. Therefore, because of this ‘lower’ delivery level, the Council would have to be able to show how it could make up this shortfall and demonstrate it had a 5-year housing plan. There would be meetings on this with other councils and a progress report would go to the Cabinet meeting on 12 October.

Development forum meetings had been held in June and September when updates were given on the Local Plan and Harlow – Gilston Garden Town project. Officers were also liaising with relevant landowners and ECC regarding transport infrastructure that was a key issue. At a Garden Town meeting on 18 September, a member board had been established with monthly meetings to follow. Consultants would also be appointed through the Garden Town, a key aim of which was to try and move people onto other forms of transport. A Garden Town officer had been appointed and would be based at the Civic Offices in Epping but would work across the District and with other authorities.

Councillor N Bedford asked if 11 hectares of employment areas were required, was the North Weald Police helicopter base in this allocation. A Blom-Cooper replied that this use would not be categorised as ‘employment’ in terms of the Local Plan.

Councillor J H Whitehouse asked if schools would be needed. A Blom-Cooper replied that only general discussions had been held with ECC on land infrastructure.

Councillor A Patel queried the Council’s lack of housing stock. Councillor J Philip replied that since 2011 the Council had not been building an adequate quota and this would need to be recovered in the Local Plan providing the Council could show the availability of housing land and reasonably deliver housing stock.

Councillor M Sartin said that she had attended an exhibition on the future Garden Town and that as it comprised seven garden villages, she could not visualise how these would come together as a Garden Town. Councillor J Philip replied that the garden villages would be developed within a garden town structure and the whole area would be assessed at as an entity. This would include looking at what improvements could be made – i.e. shopping area requirements / locations and sustainable transport, to make it a good area to live. The logical idea was to continue the Garden Town into the green spaces around Harlow. Councillor M Sartin suggested two more crossings of the A414, such as another junction. Councillor J Philip said he would not speculate until the preliminary work had been done.