Agenda item

The purpose of this report is for Cabinet to approve the Draft version of the Local Plan for public consultation. The Draft Local Plan can be viewed at Appendix 1 and the accompanying Draft Policies Map (including Settlement Insets maps) at Appendix 2.

Schedule 1 comprises exempt information - to exclude the public (including the press) from a meeting of a committee it is necessary for the following proposition to be moved and adopted: "that the public be excluded from the meeting for Items which involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 5 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) as indicated."

Members considered the Draft Local Plan report presented by Councillor Mrs Laws.

Councillor Boden stated that members were in receipt of an exempt Schedule 1 and although the preference is to remain in public session for as much of the debate as possible, if any member wishes to discuss the content of Schedule 1 then they would have to consider moving into private session. Members agreed to stay in open session.

Councillor Boden proposed various amendments to the Draft Local Plan, which was seconded by Councillor Mrs Laws. Councillor Boden stated that this is such a technical matter that the Council need to get it right and be as transparent as possible given it is such a lengthy document. He added that six amendments are being proposed, however he will not be moving the sixth amendment.

Councillor Boden proceeded to read out some of the proposed amendments to the Draft Local Plan in turn, stating that this is what is being proposed for consultation and the Council will take all comments made by the public and officers into account.

Members made comments, asked questions and received responses as follows:

·         Councillor Seaton stated that in respect of Amendment 1 regarding Policy LP1 Settlement Boundaries, it is important to have this flexibility for the rural areas. There needs to be an opportunity for limited development where appropriate, otherwise it is too rigid. Therefore, he is behind using flexibility within reason to promote certain types of development that will benefit rural areas. Councillor Tierney agreed, saying that the Council must allow for special circumstances that are beneficial to a community that may not have been considered or was not expected.

·         Councillor Tierney commented that in respect of the proposed Amendment 2 regarding Policy LP10 Shop Frontages, Security Shutters and Canopies, it is his view that people should be able to put up what restrictions or shutters they like but he will support this. It is an improvement and a step forward although not as far as he would have gone. Councillor Seaton agreed that flexibility is required in this area of planning, and it is important for planning officers to use the flexibility with discretion, and although he would not go as far as Councillor Tierney, he appreciated his thoughts. Councillor Mrs Laws said in respect of this proposed amendment, the Council has listened to businesses and members. She would suggest that Councillor Tierney’s view is rather extreme, particularly for Conservation Areas, but the Council must look at the criminal element that causes destruction and, in the aim to support businesses and shopkeepers, this is a good compromise.

·         Councillor Boden commented that he is not putting forward Amendment 6 in respect of Policy LP46, Residential Site Allocations in Chatteris. He stated that both he and Councillor Mrs Laws have been rigorous in their focus on the housing element of the Draft Local Plan as they want to ensure deliverability and it is pointless allocating sites that either cannot or will not be delivered. The Council is obliged to deliver approximately 550 homes per year for 20 years and having sites in the Local Plan which make up those numbers which then cannot be delivered leads to a danger that the Council will lose its land supply. Councillor Boden added that both he and Councillor Mrs Laws have agreed to remove all the areas that are broad locations for growth which had been identified in the previous Local Plan but had not been developed and where there was no planning application for any development, with some of the areas having been in the plan since 1994, which is long enough for them to have been developed if they could be. Therefore, there has been a number of removals or partial removals of areas which are currently in the 2014 plan identified as being broad locations for growth on housing.

·         Councillor Boden added that when an application came forward for Chatteris East it made sense for that policy to be adopted for that location and for that area to be allocated for housing. It came so late in the day, however, that the Council did not have time to change the report, so it was included in the maps. Since then, the application has not come before Planning Committee which suggests that there is uncertainty as to why it has not come forward. It may be that it will come to Planning Committee soon, but members must make a decision today based how things are at the moment. Councillor Boden added that for this reason both he and Councillor Mrs Laws agreed to remove this site from the Local Plan given the uncertainty with the planning application and to have a consistent policy.

Proposed by Councillor Boden, seconded by Councillor Mrs French and agreed to Amendments 1 to 5 of the Draft Local Plan. 

Councillor Boden expressed his enormous thanks to Councillor Mrs Laws for her dedication to this process and to the officers involved, particularly Gemma Wildman, Simon Machen and officers within the Planning Team. He cannot emphasise enough their tremendous amount of assistance, their professionalism and dedication.

Councillor Mrs Laws stated that she had a close working relationship with officers and would like to record principal names, particularly Simon Machen, Gemma Wildman, Ed Dade, Gareth Martin, Nick Harding, Carol Pilson and Dan Horn. They had been the principal leaders, but a lot of work had been undertaken by other officers behind the scenes. She could not express the amount of work though very challenging times during Covid to assess the sites with the number of hours and the work undertaken having been beyond duty and it is all appreciated.

Proposed by Councillor Mrs Laws, seconded by Councillor Boden and Cabinet AGREED to approve the Local Plan for consultation, as amended in accordance with amendments 1 to 5 in the Proposed Amendments to Draft Local Plan document, starting in July 2022 and to delegate authority to officers to make minor, inconsequential amendments to the document prior to its publication (in order to correct matters such as fact or aid clarity to the reader).

(Councillors Murphy, Benney, Lynn and Mrs French left the room for this item by virtue of the fact they are members or substitutes of the Planning Committee and took no part in the discussion on voting thereon).