Issue - meetings

A report by the Corporate Director, Department of Neighbourhood & Planning is circulated

Councillor John Brady, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Planning and Housing presented a report which sought approval for the Council’s approach to determining long term housing requirements for the Wiltshire Core Strategy in light of the revocation of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West (RSS).

Cllr Brady explained that the Decentralisation and Localism Bill expected to be published during November would include changes to planning laws, housing policy and the mechanism by which the policy changes put forward by the Government would be implemented. This could have implications for how the Council moved forward in preparing Wiltshire’s new housing requirement.

It was noted that the need to develop the housing numbers in advance of the Bill was driven by the timetable for the South Wiltshire Core Strategy that had been agreed with the Inspector. However, the Inspector had since agreed that it would make sense to wait until after publication of the Bill so that a decision on the housing numbers could be made taking into account the implications of the Bill.  In recognition of this, it was proposed to defer any report on the future housing requirement for South Wiltshire until such time as the implications of the Bill could be taken into consideration.

In view of this information, Cllr Brady presented a revised recommendation for Cabinet’s consideration and it was

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

(a)               In light of the revocation of the Regional Spatial Strategies, reaffirms that the Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan 2016 sets out housing figures for Wiltshire up to 2016 (as set out in saved Policy DP4);

(b)              Agrees that Wiltshire’s new housing requirement is determined through a comprehensive review involving local communities, which responds to the Decentralisation and Localism Bill; and

(c)               Agrees that the new housing requirement be progressed as part of the Core Strategy process.

Reason for Decision

To take account of any implications arising from the Decentralisation and Localism Bill.