Issue - meetings

    Report by Executive Director Alistair Cuningham.

Cllr Toby Sturgis, Cabinet Member for Spatial Planning, Development Management and Property, presented the report which (i) set out the next stage of plan making in the light of the changes to national policy and the outcome of consultations; and (ii) sought agreement for the appropriate scale of housing growth to be tested for Wiltshire and the alternative development strategies to be considered through the plan-making process to inform a preferred

strategy.

Cllr Sturgis commented on the consultation undertaken in relation to the Local Plan to date and referred to the previous update report considered by Cabinet at their meeting on 26 March 2019. He also referred to the alternative development strategies for each housing market area that had been developed, as an example he highlighted the figures for Westbury and the high need for affordable housing in that area. The Cabinet noted that: the figures and strategies would be tested and this may lead to a hybrid development strategy being created; wider work is continuing on reviewing Core Strategy policies, which would include climate change issues and subject to testing for their compliance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The Cabinet noted that maintaining an up-to-date Local Plan in accordance with the NPPF would support Plan led growth across the county to support sustainable and resilient communities, safeguarding the authority from speculative and unplanned development.

The Cabinet received a statement from Adrian Brabazon about the housing numbers for Option CH-C.  Cllr Sturgis reported that in light of the issues raised by Mr Brabazon, an addendum had been published to update and clarify some of the figures detailed in the original report. 

In response to a question from Cllr Thorn about (i) the potential for the Government to impose a further increase in the housing numbers for Wiltshire, and the timing and methodology for this; and (ii) the possibility of repeating the workshops undertaken during the autumn of 2018, for communities (parish councils and neighbourhood planning groups) on the options detailed in the report, Cllr Sturgis explained that (i) the critical part related to the response from the Government on changes to the formula and updated figures, this was not anticipated any time soon.  However, once the process was at the submission stage, the figures were fixed for two years, and (ii) that the responses from the earlier consultation with Parish Councils were included in the report. The report highlighted that further consultation would take place similar to that undertaken in the autumn 2018.

In response to questions from Cllr Wickham, Cllr Clewer and the Leader of the Council in relation to a previous resolution of the Cabinet on 12 September 2017 (minute 117 – Wiltshire Local Plan Development Scheme Update) and 10 October 2017 (minute 130 – Wiltshire Core Strategy Review – Regulation 18 Consultation) about the Cabinet being satisfied that plans are in place to maintain a deliverable 5 year housing land supply in both Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50