Agenda item

Planning and Sustainability – (C-070-2020-21) - This report sets out the changes proposed to the draft EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist documents.

(1)        The Cabinet noted the public consultation process and outcomes and endorsed the Epping Forest District Sustainability Guidance and Checklist documents (Volume 1: Major Developments Appendix A and Volume 2: Minor Developments Appendix B) as material planning considerations for the preparation of masterplans, pre-application advice, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes within the District.

(2)        The Cabinet noted the public consultation process and outcomes, and endorsed the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town (HGGT) Sustainability Guidance and Checklist (Strategic Sites) (Appendix D) as a material planning consideration for the preparation of masterplans, pre-application advice, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes within the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town.

(3)        The Cabinet agreed that the Planning Services Director, in consultation with the Planning and Sustainability Portfolio Holder be authorised to make minor amendments to the EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist documents (Volume 1: Major Developments and Volume 2: Minor Developments) and HGGT Sustainability Guidance and Checklist prior to their final publication.

(4)        The Cabinet noted progress made on the Draft EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist Volume 3: Extensions and Refurbishments (Appendix F), and gave delegated authority to the Portfolio Holder to approve the Guidance for public consultation for a six week period.

(5)        The Cabinet noted that, following consultation and any subsequent revisions, it was intended that the final EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist Volume 3 would be considered by Cabinet for endorsement as a material planning consideration for assessing householder planning applications (for extension or refurbishment work to an existing building), pre-application advice, and any other development management purposes within the District.

The Planning and Sustainability Portfolio Holder, Councillor Bedford introduced the report.

The Council’s emerging Local Plan set out policies in relation to sustainable and high quality design and construction of developments. On 19 September 2019 the Council declared a Climate Emergency, including a resolution to do everything within the Council's power to make Epping Forest District carbon neutral by 2030. To support these policies and this declaration, the Council had produced draft Sustainability Guidance and Checklist documents for use across the District; Volume 1: Major Developments (10+ units) and Volume 2: Minor Developments (1-9 units). These documents were in addition to the draft HGGT Sustainability Guidance and Checklist, which had been produced for sites located both within Epping Forest District and the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town. All three draft documents were approved by Cabinet for the purposes of public consultation on 19 October 2020.

This report set out the changes proposed to the draft EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist documents (Volume 1: Major Developments and Volume 2: Minor Developments) and the draft HGGT Sustainability Guidance and Checklist following the consultation process and sought Cabinet endorsement of these documents.

The report provided members with an update of progress in respect of Volume 3 and outlined a summary of the aims, objectives and purpose of the Volume 3 guidance. Further, the report requested that the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Sustainability was given delegated authority to approve the final draft of Volume 3 for public consultation. Following public consultation and any updates arising, the final Volume 3 guidance would return to Cabinet for endorsement as a material consideration in the determination of householder planning applications.

Councillor Philip welcomed the report and the new Director of the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town whose appointment had been announced recently.

Councillor Heap also welcomed the report but noted that he could not see the difference between major and minor developments; there also seemed to be no cost benefits mentioned; and there was still no insistence for PVs on all new dwellings. He also wanted to know how SP3 became SP2. He was told that that they had renumbered the policies as one (SP1) had been removed.

Councillor Wixley wanted to know what LETI stood for, as it was mentioned in paragraph 12 of the report.  He was told it was the London Energy Transformation Initiative, a network of built environment professionals that gave guidance to support a path to a zero carbon future.

Decision:

(1)        The Cabinet noted the public consultation process and outcomes and endorsed the Epping Forest District Sustainability Guidance and Checklist documents (Volume 1: Major Developments Appendix A and Volume 2: Minor Developments Appendix B) as material planning considerations for the preparation of masterplans, pre-application advice, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes within the District.

(2)        The Cabinet noted the public consultation process and outcomes, and endorsed the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town (HGGT) Sustainability Guidance and Checklist (Strategic Sites) (Appendix D) as a material planning consideration for the preparation of masterplans, pre-application advice, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes within the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town.

(3)        The Cabinet agreed that the Planning Services Director, in consultation with the Planning and Sustainability Portfolio Holder be authorised to make minor amendments to the EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist documents (Volume 1: Major Developments and Volume 2: Minor Developments) and HGGT Sustainability Guidance and Checklist prior to their final publication.

(4)        The Cabinet noted progress made on the Draft EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist Volume 3: Extensions and Refurbishments (Appendix F) and gave delegated authority to the Portfolio Holder to approve the Guidance for public consultation for a six week period.

(5)        The Cabinet noted that, following consultation and any subsequent revisions, it was intended that the final EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist Volume 3 would be considered by Cabinet for endorsement as a material planning consideration for assessing householder planning applications (for extension or refurbishment work to an existing building), pre-application advice, and any other development management purposes within the District.

Reasons for Proposed Decision:

To ensure that both the EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist documents (Volume 1: Major Developments and Volume 2: Minor Developments) and the HGGT Sustainability Guidance and Checklist were afforded suitable planning weight by endorsing them as material considerations in the planning process. This would ensure that development proposals across the District contributed to the Council’s sustainability ambitions, and that clear parameters were established for future pre-application advice, preparation of masterplans, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes.

To agree that the draft EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist Volume 3: Extensions and Refurbishments was delegated to the Portfolio Holder to agree for the purposes of a 6 week public consultation period.

Other Options for Action:

Not to agree the EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist documents (Volume 1: Major Developments and Volume 2: Minor Developments) and HGGT Sustainability Guidance and Checklist or endorse the three documents as material considerations in the planning process, which would mean that there would be no guidance to support the delivery of development proposals and achieve the objectives set out in the Council’s emerging Local Plan policies SP3, DM5, DM9, DM11, DM15-22.

Not to agree the draft EFDC Sustainability Guidance and Checklist Volume 3: Extensions and Refurbishments is delegated to the Portfolio Holder to agree for the purposes of a 6 week public consultation, which would mean that there would be no mechanism to support the delivery of sustainable extension and refurbishment of existing dwellings.