Agenda and minutes

No declarations of interest were made.

RESOLVED

that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 16 October 2023, be received and approved as a correct record.

Committee received a summary of the key issues raised in response to the Regulation 19 Pre-submission draft of the Ashfield Local Plan 2023-2040.  The Council had received 122 responses which equated to 438 representations.

Key Issues had been raised in respect of the following:

·         Green Belt Land Release - Housing and Strategic Employment Allocations

·         Policy S1: Spatial Strategy: Dispersed development on sites of less than 500 dwellings

·         Policy S7: Meeting Future Housing Need

·         Local Plan Evidence Base/ Background Papers:

o   Sustainable Appraisal

o   Strategic Housing Land and Employment Availability Assessment

o   Green belt Harm Background Paper

o   Spatial Strategy and Site Selection Background paper

o   Strategic Transport Assessment

·         H1: Housing Allocation sites that had received more than 10 objections:

o   H1Hd Stubbing Wood Farm, Watnall Road, Hucknall (198 dwellings) – 6 objections, plus a petition of 103 signatures

o   H1Sk Sunnyside Farm, Blackwell Road, Huthwaite (283 dwellings) – 23 objections

o   H1Sq Hardwick Lane Recreation Ground ( 40 dwellings) – 2 objections, plus a petition of 654 signatures

o   H1St Land off Blackwell Road/Main Street, Huthwaite ( 99 dwellings)  – 17 objections.

To conclude Members were advised of the next steps to enable the consultation responses, the Local Plan and the Evidence Base to be submitted to the Inspector for consideration and assessment at the public examination.

AGREED

that the summary of key issues raised as responses to the Regulation 19 Pre-submission draft of the Ashfield Local Plan 2023-2040, as presented, be received and noted.

(During consideration of this item, Councillor Helen-Ann Smith entered the meeting at 10.05am.)

Committee received a summary of how the Council had met its legal obligations under the Duty to Cooperate in accordance with Section 33A of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, to collaborate and produce the Statements of Common Ground as required. Members were advised on progress and status of each Statement.

The Council had a good reputation for working closely with other bodies and neighbouring authorities and these included:

·         Local Planning Authorities, either neighbouring or making up the Housing Market Area

·         Environment Agency

·         Historic England

·         Natural England                        

·         Civil Aviation Authority

·         Homes England

·         Clinical Commissioning Groups (now NHS Integrated Care Board)

·         Office of Rail and Road

·         National Highways

·         Nottinghamshire County Council and Derbyshire County Council as highways authorities

·         D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership. 

AGREED

that the report be received and noted.

Members were advised as to the purpose of the Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) which informed planning policy on appropriate mixes of housing and reflected the requirements of paragraph 63 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2023.  It included the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups within local communities but did not include an assessment of Gypsy and Traveller needs as this was addressed in a separate study.

Policies and supporting text in the emerging Ashfield Local Plan had been drafted using the 2020 HNA as evidence and it was acknowledged that the Plan might need to be amended to reflect the most up to date evidence from the updated HNA moving forward.

The HNA update had brought about key changes in respect of Market Housing, Affordable/Social Rented Housing and Specialist Housing for the Elderly and Disabled and an outline of the potential impact on the emerging Local Plan policy and supporting text, was presented to Committee.

AGREED

that the following be received and noted:

a)    the potential implications of the draft Greater Nottingham & Ashfield Housing Needs Assessment Update with acknowledgement that the Council would not be making any amendments to the Local Plan policies and supporting text at this stage;

b)    all the recommendations from the final HNA update will be considered as part of a Local Plan Review moving forwards, or earlier at Examination if required by the Independent Inspector.

Committee received a presentation regarding the key changes to the National Planning Policy Framework which included:

·         Green Belt boundaries

·         Urban Density

·         Increased support for small sites (Community-led development/ rural exception sites, self-build, custom-build)

·         Changes to 5-year housing land supply

·         Development that conflicts with neighbourhood plans

·         Standard Method for housing need

·         Retirement housing, housing with care, care homes

·         Energy Efficiency

·         Increased reference to ‘’beauty’’.

AGREED

that the update and contents of the report, be received and noted.

A Local Plan timetable of next steps was presented to Members which encompassed the analysis of Local Plan consultation responses during January to March 2024 right through to the anticipated formal adoption of the Council’s Local Plan in April 2025.

AGREED

that the Local Plan Timetable as presented, be received and noted.