Agenda item

Further to Cabinet’s recent decision to take forward Option C as the preferred approach for progressing the emerging Local Plan, Member were asked to consider and advise upon the most appropriate next steps.

The ‘Option C’ approach reflected recent national pronouncements on the Green Belt and housing numbers and continued to emphasise the locational advantages of Ashfield for employment and skills growth.

Any recommendations from the Local Plan Development Panel and Cabinet would need to be considered through an assessment in the Sustainability Appraisal and there would need to be on-going discussions with neighbouring councils and infrastructure providers, reflecting the legal duty for councils to engage on strategic cross boundary matters as evidenced within the Statement of Common Ground.

In response to the Draft Local Plan 2021consultation results, officers would be making the spatial strategy clearer although it was acknowledged that the overall approach shown within the emerging Local Plan was positively received.

Members were asked to note the following:

H1Ki Annesley Miners Welfare - for clarification the Local Plan had not proposed that the sports pitch was developed as it formed part of the existing planning permission (V/2018/0393) which was being implemented.

H1Hd Stubbing Wood Farm - original information provided to the Council on the SHELAA was incorrect as it had identified that the land was in a single ownership.  The dwelling on site was in separate ownership including various rights of access and should the site be taken forward; this matter would be for the proposed developer of the site to resolve.

To complete the presentation, Panel Members were advised that using the standard housing methodology, the Council would have sufficient supply of housing to meet a 10-year demand without impacting significantly on the Green Belt, whilst Government made a decision on its national approach to housing.  However, there were risks associated with continuing with the draft Plan on this basis and these were duly communicated in detail to the Panel.

To recommend an appropriate way forward, Members were asked to consider two scenarios:

Scenario 1

To include all housing site allocations with the exception of Whyburn Farm resulting in the housing supply being reduced by 1,600 dwellings located in the Green Belt.

Scenario 2

To include all housing site allocations but excluding both new settlements resulting in the housing supply being reduced by 1,915 dwellings with all but 315 dwellings being in the Green Belt.

Two amendments were also recommended in relation to the following:

·        a new site Land North Larch Close Underwood (SHELAA Ref SJU043) (hatched blue on the plan) to be added into an existing adjacent allocated for housing

·        following representations regarding the Main Urban Area boundary at Ashland House, Skegby, it be recommended that no change be made at the present time.

The Chairman thanked officers for the presentation and a lengthy debate ensued. 

(The meeting adjourned at 12.10pm and reconvened at 12.20pm.)

As part of the deliberations, Members proposedthat a third scenario be on the table for Member consideration as follows:

Scenario 3

No new settlements be taken forward and the remaining allocated housing sites meet the requirements for the housing need over a 15-year Plan period.

AGREED

and recommended to Cabinet that:

a)    the Council takes forward a housing requirement which provides a minimum of a 15-year housing supply;

b)    the two new settlements in the Green Belt (Whyburn Farm and Cauldwell Road/Derby Road) are removed from the Local Plan going forward;

c)    as a result of a) and b) above, it be confirmed that Scenario 3 be selected to progress the emerging Local Plan as follows:

No new settlements be taken forward and the remaining allocated housing sites meet the requirements for the housing need over a 15-year Plan period;

d)    Strategic Policy S3 Location of Development is reviewed to include a spatial strategy within the Policy;

e)    SHELAA (SJU043) adjacent to an existing allocation at Underwood H1vg Land North of Larch Close, be included in the emerging Local Plan;

f)     changes are made to the Main Urban Area boundary at Skegby subject to a masterplan/design brief being developed to protect the setting of the listed building at Dalestorth House.