Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

At each Cabinet meeting, up to 15 minutes shall be allocated for questions from and discussion with, non-Cabinet members.  Members wishing to speak during this session should if possible, give notice in advance.  Who speaks and for how long will be at the complete discretion of the person presiding.

No non-Cabinet Members in attendance wished to speak under this item.

Members of the public who live or work in the District are invited to put one question/statement of not more than three minutes duration relating to items to be discussed in Part 1 of the agenda only.  If a question is asked and answered within three minutes, the person who asked the question may ask a supplementary question that arises from the reply.

A person who wishes to speak must register at least 15 minutes before the time the meeting is scheduled to start.

There is an overall time limit of 15 minutes for public speaking, which may be extended at the Chairman’s discretion.

There were no questions/statements from members of the public.

Report No: CAB/FH/16/011

·         Responses to Consultation and Engagement on the Core Strategy Single Issue Review (SIR), Site Allocations Local Plan (SALP) and Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP)

·         Core Strategy Single Issue Review (SIR) Preferred Option – (Regulation 18) Consultation Document

Portfolio Holder: James Waters

Chairman of the Local Plan Working Group: Rona Burt

Lead Officer: Marie Smith

RESOLVED:

That:-

1.       Responses to consultation and engagement on the Core Strategy Single Issue Review (SIR), Site Allocations Local Plan (SALP) and Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) (Report No LOP/FH/16/004)

          The responses, comments and actions as set out in Working Papers 1, 2 and 3 of Report No LOP/FH/16/004 be endorsed.

2.       Core Strategy Single Issue Review (SIR) Preferred Option – (Regulation 18) Consultation Document (Report No LOP/FH/16/005)

(a)         The Core Strategy Single Issue Review (CS SIR) Preferred Option document (as set out in Working Paper 1 to Report No LOP/FH/16/005) and accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)/Sustainability Appraisal (SA), together with supporting documents, be approved for consultation, subject to the following amendments:

(i)          Additional text being included to provide further clarity and context for Newmarket in relation to Option 1 (the Council’s preferred option) and Option 2 (the Council’s non-preferred option).

(ii)     In relation to page 16 of the consultation document – Distribution Option 1 – the word ‘enabling’ be replaced with the word ‘and’ - therefore being amended to read:

‘Distribution Option 1: Higher growth at Mildenhall and Red Lodge and Primary Villages, and lower growth at Newmarket’.

(iii)    Further clarity be provided to the use/context of the phrase ‘Preferred Option’, in that it was a technical planning term used under ‘Regulation 18’ of the statutory development plan process.

(b)     The Head of Planning and Growth, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, be authorised to make any minor typographical, factual, spelling and grammatical changes to the document, provided that it does not materially affect the substance or meaning.

(Report No CAB/FH/16/011)

Councillor Rona Burt, Chairman of the Local Plan Working Group, presented this report which set out the recommendations of the Working Group, emanating from its meeting on 15 February 2016.

On 15 February 2016, the Working Group considered the following substantive items of business:

(1)     Responses to consultation and engagement on the Core Strategy Single Issue Review (SIR), Site Allocations Local Plan (SALP) and Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) (Report No LOP/FH/16/004)

This report set out the representations, responses, comments and actions which had been made on the Core Strategy Single Issue Review (SIR) , the Site Allocations Local Plan (SALP) documents and the Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP), following the public consultation which had been held between August and October 2015.

The Working Group had considered these responses, comments and actions as set out in Working Papers 1, 2 and 3 of Report No LOP/FH/16/004 and had recommended that these be endorsed.

(2)     Core Strategy Single Issue Review (SIR) Preferred Option – (Regulation 18) Consultation Document (Report No LOP/FH/16/005)

Working Paper 1 to Report No LOP/FH/16/005 was the third ‘Issues and Options’ (Regulation 18) Core Strategy SIR consultation document.  This document considered one option for the overall level of housing to be provided in the District from 2011 to 2031 and two reasonable options (one of which was the Council’s preferred option) for its distribution between towns and villages.

The purpose of the consultation document was to stimulate further debate on housing quantum and the most appropriate way to distribute the housing need throughout the District.  The document asked questions from both the public and statutory stakeholders.

The Council was still evidence gathering at this stage and was not making a final decision on the distribution of housing, but was giving an indication of its preferred strategy.

The Local Plan Working Group had recommended that the documents be approved for consultation, subject to additional text being included to provide further clarity and context for Newmarket, in relation to Option 1 (the Council’s preferred option) and Option 2 (the Council’s non-preferred option).

During the Cabinet discussions, Councillor Robin Millar referred to page 16 of the consultation document where the table on that page set out the distribution of the housing numbers across the District, entitled ‘Distribution Option 1: Higher growth at Mildenhall and Red Lodge and Primary Villages, enabling lower growth at Newmarket’.  Councillor Millar considered that further clarity was needed to avoid any misinterpretation of the Council’s position and that this was not a statement of the Council’s political position, but was a statement of fact.  Councillor Millar, therefore, proposed that this wording be amended and that the word ‘enabling’ be replaced with the word ‘and’.  Therefore reading:

‘Distribution Option 1: Higher growth at Mildenhall and Red Lodge and Primary Villages, and lower growth at Newmarket.’

Councillor Millar also referred to the range of options which had been considered in relation to the site of Hatchfield Farm, Newmarket, including those which had been tested  ...  view the full minutes text for item 171.

Report No: CAB/FH/16/012

·         Site Allocations Preferred Options – (Regulation 18) Consultation Document

Portfolio Holder: James Waters               

Chairman of the Local Plan Working Group: Rona Burt

Lead Officer: Marie Smith

RESOLVED:

That:-

1.           Progress on the Site Allocations Local Plan (SALP) be endorsed.

2.      The Site Allocations Preferred Options document, as set out in Working Papers 1 and 2 to Report No LOP/FH/16/006 and accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)/Sustainability Appraisal (SA), together with supporting documents, be approved for consultation, subject to the following amendment:

(i)       Newmarket – Site N1(b): Land at Black Bear Lane and Rowley Drive Junction (formerly N/11)

        Paragraph 7.18 and Site (b) of Policy N1: Housing in Newmarket, of the SALP document, be amended to include further references to the retention of a horse racing related use on that site.

3.       The Head of Planning and Growth, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, be authorised to make any minor typographical, factual, spelling and grammatical changes to the document, provided that it does not materially affect the substance or meaning.

(Report No CAB/FH/16/012)

Councillor Rona Burt, Chairman of the Local Plan Working Group, presented this report which set out the recommendations of the Working Group held on 18 February 2016.

On 18 February 2016, the Working Group had considered the following substantive item of business:

(1)     Site Allocations Preferred Options – (Regulation 18) Consultation Document.

Working Paper 1 of Report No LOP/FH/16/006 was the Site Allocations Local Plan Preferred Options document.  This superseded and updated the 2015 consultation document and set out the Council’s preferred sites to 2031 for housing, employment and other uses.

The document asked questions and invited comments from both the public and statutory stakeholders.  The Council was still evidence gathering at this stage and was not making a final decision on sites, but was giving an indication of its preferred strategy.

The Local Plan Working Group had considered the Site Allocations Local Plan in detail and their substantive comments were set out in paragraph 1.17 of Report No CAB/FH/16/012.  The Working Group had recommended that the consultation documents be approved, subject to an amendment to Site N1(b) (Land at Black Bear Lane and Rowley Drive Junction, Newmarket) to include further reference to the retention of a horse racing related use on that site.

The Cabinet were also provided with a copy of the Local Plan Preferred Options Policies Map (which also included the Inset Maps).

With the vote being unanimous, it was

RESOLVED:

That:-

1.           Progress on the Site Allocations Local Plan (SALP) be endorsed.

2.      The Site Allocations Preferred Options document, as set out in Working Papers 1 and 2 to Report No LOP/FH/16/006 and accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)/Sustainability Appraisal (SA), together with supporting documents, be approved for consultation, subject to the following amendment:

(i)          Newmarket – Site N1(b): Land at Black Bear Lane and Rowley Drive Junction (formerly N/11)

          Paragraph 7.18 and Site (b) of Policy N1: Housing in Newmarket, of the SALP document, be amended to include further references to the retention of a horse racing related use on that site.

3.       The Head of Planning and Growth, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, be authorised to make any minor typographical, factual, spelling and grammatical changes to the document, provided that it does not materially affect the substance or meaning.