Issue - meetings

Report of the Leader

RESOLVED that :

1. Authority be delegated to the Strategic Land Use Manager and the Development Control Manager in consultation with the Leader and the Cabinet Member Built Environment, to amend Appendix 1 to incorporate comments from Cabinet in the response to the draft National Planning Policy Framework, including such Planning Committee comments that the Cabinet would like incorporated.

2. The comments to the draft National Planning Policy Framework as amended be submitted to the Department of Communities and Local Government no later than 17 October 2011.

The Leader of the Council introduced the report which contained comments on the Government’s draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Following Cabinet’s consideration these comments would form the basis of the Council’s submission to the Department of Communities and Local Government. He made reference to the digest of Planning Committee’s comments which had been tabled.

The Leader stated that whilst Cabinet welcomed the drive for localism it appeared that the NPPF contradicted this in the interests of a developer led agenda. He highlighted that Cheltenham’s economic health and prosperity depended on its environment and there was a danger that in bringing forward development at an accelerated rate there was a risk that this would be spoiled. The Leader supported all planning committee’s comments and the proposed amendment to the recommendations in the Cabinet report with the exception of setting up a working group to inform the consultation as the timescale was insufficient. He informed Cabinet that a letter was being drafted to accompany the submission in order to highlight the key issues.

The Cabinet Member Built Environment highlighted these key issues which included the definition of sustainability, the absence from the framework of the “brownfield first” principle, the protection offered to Green Belt land, the weakening of flood prevention guidance and the restriction in the role of Supplementary Planning Documents.

Cabinet Members supported the comments and the proposed amendment to the recommendations in the Cabinet Report but expressed concern about the time required to prepare the Local Plan in line with the draft NPPF which was scheduled to be completed by April 2012. Concern was also expressed about whether the same rigour would be applied to S106 monies as at present in order to provide the relevant infrastructure to accompany any new development.

RESOLVED that :

1.      Authority be delegated to the Strategic Land Use Manager and the Development Control Manager in consultation with the Leader and the Cabinet Member Built Environment, to amend Appendix 1 to incorporate comments from Cabinet in the response to the draft National Planning Policy Framework, including such Planning Committee comments that the Cabinet would like incorporated.

2.      The comments to the draft National Planning Policy Framework as amended be submitted to the Department of Communities and Local Government no later than 17 October 2011.