Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Environment enclosed.

(a)               That the Council approve the Supplementary Planning Guidance shown in Appendix 1 of the report, relating to policy S11 Retention of Local Facilities, as supplementary planning guidance for use as a material planning consideration in determining planning applications;

(b)               That subject to the above amendment of Councillor Mullin, the Council approve the Supplementary Planning Guidance shown in Appendix 2 relating to guidance for the development of UDP housing allocation HSG1(19) Compound Site, Broughton, as supplementary planning guidance for use as a material planning consideration in determining applications; and

(c)               That the Council give the Director of Environment delegated authority, following consultation with the Executive Member for Environment, to format (and where necessary typographically correct) the wording of each Supplementary Planning Guidance above into the appropriate house style for subsequent publication.

The Head of Planning introduced a report which sought approval for supplementary planning guidance (SPG) relating to the adopted Unitary Development Plan (UDP).

            The guidance for approval related to SPG covering policy S11 Retention of Local Facilities and a development brief for the UDP housing allocation HSG1(19) Compound Site Broughton.  A further development brief relating to UDP housing allocation HSG1(38) Former Sewage Works, Sychdyn would be brought to a future meeting once matters relating to the consultation on the draft brief had been fully resolved.

            Councillor W. Mullin thanked the Head of Planning Policy and the Planning Team for their work in preparing the development brief for the housing site at Broughton.  He raised concern that a planning application for 24 houses had been submitted for this site and if another planning application for a similar amount of houses was submitted in the future the Council could not ensure that affordable housing was provided in this area.  He proposed an amendment to the development brief, that the wording ‘including any retained section of the bund’ be added to the penultimate paragraph under section 5.5.  Councillor D. MacFarlane endorsed the comments of Councillor W. Mullin and said that it was important that the village of Broughton did not lose out on affordable housing.  All Members supported the proposed amendment.

            Councillor M.J. Peers said that issues around the level and specification of affordable housing had been considered by the Planning Protocol Working Group and asked whether the Council should be doing more to ensure that developers were not providing affordable homes at a lower specification than other homes on the same development as a condition of the application.  The Head of Planning said that there would be issues around the enforceability of such a condition.   

            In response to a question on assistance to businesses, the Head of Planning said that further information and guidance would be shown on the Council’s website together with examples of best practice.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Council approve the Supplementary Planning Guidance shown in Appendix 1 of the report, relating to policy S11 Retention of Local Facilities, as supplementary planning guidance for use as a material planning consideration in determining planning applications;

(b)       That subject to the above amendment of Councillor Mullin, the Council approve the Supplementary Planning Guidance shown in Appendix 2 relating to guidance for the development of UDP housing allocation HSG1(19) Compound Site, Broughton, as supplementary planning guidance for use as a material planning consideration in determining planning applications; and

(c)        That the Council give the Director of Environment delegated authority, following consultation with the Executive Member for Environment, to format (and where necessary typographically correct) the wording of each Supplementary Planning Guidance above into the appropriate house style for subsequent publication.