Agenda item

The Head of Regulatory Services to submit a report to highlight the issues raised in the representations received to Chapter 4 Policies SS1 – SS3 and SS6, and to recommend the suggested responses to the representations resulting in proposed changes to draft Policy SS2 and SS3 and the supporting reasoned justifications.

The Chairman of the Melton Local Plan Working Group, Councillor Chandler presented the report of the Head of Regulatory Services which highlighted the issues raised in the representations received to Chapter 4 Policies SS1 – SS3 and SS6, and recommended the suggested responses to the representations resulting in proposed changes to draft Policy SS2 and SS3 and the supporting reasoned justifications.

 

Councillor Chandler advised the Council

 

•           this subject matter had attracted a great deal of interest through consultation period with very strong and conflicting views expressed on almost all aspects.  This had led to the review of the spatial strategy from its key starting point – the 65:35 ratio between Melton Mowbray and the rural areas through to the inclusion of individual villages as service centres and rural hubs.  There is little prospect of satisfying everyone’s aspirations but we remain convinced that the distribution within the last version of the plan was fair and justified and we do not propose a fundamental change in direction.  However there is always room for improvement and it is in all of our interests to develop and improve the plan where we can;

 

•           the report addresses some of those issue and identifies some key improvements we can make.  It clarifies the balance between Melton and the rural area and our expectations of how the development will take place.  Importantly, it addresses one of the issues that caused the greatest criticism in the last consultation to rework the village allocation so that we can avoid the need of redistribution between villages.  This is possible because the work on sites – item 3E – has brought forward a better range of sites and in turn a closer fit to the approach of allocations it is based upon, allocating based on population size;

 

•           on a new approach to SS3 unallocated sites: stepping away from prescriptive limits which would be hard to justify and may not stand the test of time.  A new approach is proposed as a focused change which would allow a responsive approach to be taken on 3;

 

•           a judgement based on need and impact not a tick box approach based on fixed numbers.  Improving the review clauses in SS6 so that they are more precise and inclusive of the options available;

 

•           the recommendation is to note the differences between the significant focused changes; recommendations parts 2 and 3 are less important modifications where it is proposed we take the opportunity to improve the text of 4, 5 and 6.

 

Councillor Chandler moved the recommendations numbered (i) to (vi) in the report.  Councillor Illingworth, as Chair of the Planning Committee, seconded the motion, reserving the right to speak later in the debate should he so wish.

 

Discussion opened with the Deputy Leader thanking the Local Plan Working Group for listening to concerns previously raised regarding Policy SS3 as this would now allow Ward Councillors to drive through what was needed at the Planning Committee and empower that Committee to make a decision on a local basis.  Another Member also stated she was pleased to see that Policy SS3 was not as restrictive and more tuned to local needs, commenting that any development must contribute to the sustainability of the community and be in keeping with the settlement.

 

A Member pointed out an inconsistency in the wording of the first and second bullet points of the second part of the recommendation pertaining to the percentage figures of housing need.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The mover of the motion and seconder accepted the amendment.  Councillor Illingworth spoke about the frustration of the national planning policy framework overriding local concerns.  As Members, Councillors were there to listen to and understand local views.  When the Local Plan was in place, these local views could be given real weight and the Committee could make decisions for the benefit of the people they were there to represent.  He concluded by urging Members to support the recommendations before the Council.

 

A vote was then taken on the motion, subject to the amended wording on the second bullet point of recommendation (ii), and this was carried unanimously.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)  the responses to representations outlined in Appendix 1 be agreed;

 

(2) the amendments to Policy SS2 and its ‘reasoned justification’ as a ‘Focussed Change’ for consultation (full details are contained within Item 3I of this agenda) be agreed as follows:

 

•           insert ‘approximately’ into Policy SS2 , i.e. :

    “Melton Mowbray Main Urban Area is the priority location for growth and will accommodate approximately 65% of the Borough’s housing need. The role and sustainability of Melton Mowbray will be significantly enhanced through the delivery of at least 3,980 homes………..”

•           the first sentence of the fourth paragraph of Policy SS2 be reworded to read – “Service Centres and Rural Hubs will accommodate approximately 35% (1822) of the Borough’s housing need …..”

•           amend the content of Policy SS2 and the associated reasoned justification (para 4.2 to 4.22 including the tables) to reflect the revised site capacities;

 

(3)  a focussed change for consultation comprising of a revised approach to the content of Policy SS3, ‘Unallocated Sites’ (full details are contained within Item 3I of this agenda) be agreed;

 

(4)  a modification to paragraph 4.7.4 of the Draft Plan to include reference to Dalby Airfield be agreed;

 

(5)  modifications to update paragraphs 4.7.6 and 4.7.7 of the Draft Plan  to reflect the updated evidence (HEDNA and the Strategic Growth Plan) be agreed;

 

(6)  paragraph 4.7.8 relating to Policy SS6 be amended to clarify that the plan review referred to would be “commenced within 12 months of any adoption by the Council of the Strategic Growth Plan”.