Issue - meetings

Including Community Area Topic Papers (CATP)

Report from Alistair Cunningham, Corporate Director considered by Cabinet at their meeting on the 15 May 2018.

         Report by Alistair Cunningham, Corporate Director

Please that we will not start this item until 10:30am.

Councillor Toby Sturgis presented the report which: provided an update to Cabinet on the outcome of the formal consultation on the ‘Wiltshire Housing Site Allocations Plan - Pre-submission draft plan (June 2017); sought Cabinet’s recommendation to Council that the Plan, together with a schedule of Proposed Changes, should be approved for the purposes of submission to the Secretary of State and commencement of the independent Examination process; and sought delegated authority to make appropriate arrangements for

submitting the prescribed documents and supporting materials to the Secretary of State; and respond to any consequential actions as directed by the Inspector relating to the Examination.

In moving his proposal, Councillor Sturgis referred to the Addendum that had been prepared following the deferral of the item from Cabinet of 15 May 2018 and proposed further proposed changes be made to respond to the issues raised by the community through the consultation withWiltshire Councillors and town and parish councils on the proposed changes to the Wiltshire Housing Site Allocations Plan 15th May -11th June 2018, that:

(a)   Policy 1 to delete site allocations H1.2, H1.3 and H1.4 in relation to Market Lavington and delete section on Devizes Community Area at paragraphs 5.22 to 5.37,

(b)   Amend Policy H2 to delete site allocation H2.13 in relation to Crudwell and delete section on Malmesbury Community area at paragraphs 5.111 to 5.114,

(c)    Amend Proposed Change 39 (site allocation H2.2, land off the A363 at White Horse Business Park, Trowbridge) to reduce the proposed dwelling increase by 50 dwellings,

(d)   Add to Proposed Change 69 (site allocation H2.12, East of Farrells Field, Yatton Keynell) to delete the words “Access will be taken from Farrell Fields” from paragraph 5.110.

Councillor Sturgis also proposed that there were some technical amendments to the overall wording of the proposal.

In justifying the further proposed changes, Cllr Sturgis referred to the addendum, and provided clarification as follows: progress had been made with the Market Lavington Neighbourhood Plan and there was a good supply of housing in the Eastern Housing Market Area; housing has been permitted in the Malmesbury Community Area to bolster the housing numbers and the Crudwell Neighbourhood Plan had made good progress; and the reduction in the increase in housing numbers on site H2.2 would provide for landscape buffer for North Bradley.

Matters highlighted in the course of the presentation and discussion included: that the documents had been prepared to ensure that an up to date development plan was in place; the importance of having a sufficient housing land to meet demand to mitigate against developer led planning; that all the comments received on the consultation would be sent to the Secretary of State and an Inspector who then decides what they want to look at before making their recommendation through the examination process; the relationship of the plan to the core strategy adopted by Wiltshire Council; the overall level of growth allocated in the proposed plan and the need to plan in excess of need; how  ...  view the full minutes text for item 257

 Report by Alistair Cunningham, Corporate Director

Councillor Toby Sturgis presented the report which: provided an update on the outcome of the formal consultation on the ‘Wiltshire Housing Site Allocations Plan - Pre-submission draft plan (June 2017)’; sought Cabinet’s  recommendation to Council that the Plan, together with the schedule of Proposed Changes, should be approved for the purposes of submission to the Secretary of State and commencement of the independent Examination process; and sought delegated authority to make appropriate arrangements for submitting the prescribed documents and supporting materials to the Secretary of State; and respond to any consequential actions as directed by the Inspector relating to the Examination.

Matters highlighted in the course of the presentation and debate included: how the plans fit with the core strategy; the need to submit evidence of a five year housing land supply; the national policy context and the drive from central government to encourage more housebuilding; the formal and informal consultations already undertaken and the decision of Cabinet already made; the need to submit the plan to the Secretary of State to commence the independent examination by an inspector (with examination in public in the autumn), and that a final decision would be made by Council following recommendations of the inspector examining the plan; the changes that have been made as a result of consultation and assessments; how changes in national policy on issues such as density had been taken into account; the comprehensive nature of the evidence; that some settlements had not been included as they had already met their housing allocation; that around 3000 comments had been taken into account; the difficulty in balancing the needs of national policy and housing demand and neighbourhood plans, and the respective weight that can be given in decisions; the assistance the council can give to supporting those plans in their development; that every objection and representation will be sent to the Secretary of State that will be considered by the inspector; and that the secretary of state can take action if a sound plan is not in place.

The Leader drew attention to the questions and statements responded to in the supplement, and gave those in attendance an opportunity to present further questions and statements.

The Leader stated, in response to specific concerns raised by Graham Hill, that she would ask officers to meet with him to seek to address the issues he had raised in his complaint.

The Leader stated, in response to a supplementary question from Geoff Whiffen, that the Cabinet represented the county as a whole and that it was not practical to have representatives from every community on there, but emphasised that views from all communities are listened to; and that a written response would be given as to the breakdown of support and objection to the specific site mentioned.

Councillor Sturgis, in response to a question from David Goodship, that a distinction had to made between matters to be dealt with as a matter of policy/strategy and those which would be dealt with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 233