Agenda, decisions and minutes

The Chair opened the meeting and welcomed all persons present within the Conference Chamber. He explained the rationale behind the precautionary health and safety measures that remained in operation for this meeting which aimed to reduce and restrict the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

No apologies for absence were received.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 15 March 2022 (copy attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 March 2022 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary or local non pecuniary interest which they have in any item of business on the agenda, no later than when that item is reached and, when appropriate, to leave the meeting prior to discussion and voting on the item.

Members’ declarations of interest are recorded under the item to which the declaration relates.

At each Cabinet meeting, up to 15 minutes shall be allocated for questions or statements from and discussion with, non-Cabinet members. Members wishing to speak during this session are encouraged to 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 or 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. This can be done online by sending the request to democratic.services@westsuffolk.gov.uk or telephoning 01638 719237 or in person by telling the Committee Administrator present at the meeting. However, we have a corporate and social responsibility for the safety of our staff, our councillors and visiting members of the public. We therefore strongly urge anyone who wishes to register to speak to notify Democratic Services by 9am on the day of the meeting so that advice can be given on the arrangements in place.

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

No members of the public in attendance had registered to speak.

Report number:     CAB/WS/22/017

Chair of the Committee: Councillor Ian Shipp

Lead officer: Christine Brain

The Cabinet received and noted this report, which informed members of the following substantive items considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 17 March 2022:

1.  Response on Homes for Life and Ageing Population Housing Questions 

2.  Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee – 26 January 2022

3.  Work programme update 2022

Councillor Stephen Frost, Vice Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet, including that the Committee had agreed to convene an additional informal virtual meeting to progress the ’20 mph zone’ topic that was currently on their work programme. A representative from Suffolk County Council (SCC), as the Highways Authority, would be in attendance to assist with the discussions.

In addition to thanking Councillor David Roach, Portfolio Holder for Planning, for his excellent presentation to the Committee on the ‘Homes for Life and Ageing Population - Housing’ topic, Councillor Frost drew attention to the Committee’s discussions on potential methods to discourage and prevent anti-idling, as set out in paragraph 2.3.4 of the report.

In response, the Chair explained that the Council, with SCC and other partners, was actively looking at ways to improve and promote better air quality in West Suffolk in general, which coincided with the Council’s commitment to tackling climate change and mitigating adverse impacts on the environment. The Committee was thanked for the work it had undertaken to date on this issue.

Report number:     CAB/WS/22/018

Portfolio holder: Councillor Sarah Broughton

Lead officer: Rachael Mann

The Cabinet received and noted this report, which informed members of the following substantive items considered by the Anglia and Revenues and Benefits Joint Committee on 1 March 2022:

1.     Performance Report

2.     Welfare Reform Update

3.     Anglia Revenues Partnership (ARP) Financial Performance 2021 to 2022

4.     Verification Policy

5.     Forthcoming Issues

6.     Exempt Item: Partnership Working through Section 113 Agreement

Councillor Sarah Broughton, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Property, drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet, including that it was expected that payments of the Government’s £150 Council Tax Energy Rebate grant were expected to be distributed from 29 April 2022 to eligible persons that paid their council tax by direct debit where data matched, and where a successful direct debit had already been taken from April’s council tax payments. Payments to be made to eligible persons under the discretionary rebate grant scheme, would be made at a later date. ARP were congratulated for their outstanding work regarding the administration and operation of the schemes.

Councillor Sara Mildmay-White, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Strategic Health, provided an update on Discretionary Housing Payments that had been distributed to eligible persons in West Suffolk over the last two years. She explained that year-on-year reductions in grant funding had been received from Government and this was likely to continue into 2023. The Housing team was working closely with ARP, SCC and other partners to mitigate the impact on those affected, particularly given the added pressures following the current increases in fuel and energy prices, and the cost of living in general. Councillor Mildmay-White was joined by Cabinet in thanking the teams for their tireless efforts in this regard. 

Report number:     CAB/WS/22/019

Portfolio holder: Councillor David Roach

Lead officers: Julie Baird and Marie Smith

Recommended to Council: (17 May 2022)

That:

1.       The West Suffolk Local Plan Preferred Options (Regulation 18) document, as contained in Appendix A to Report number: CAB/WS/22/019, together with supporting documents, be approved for the purposes of public consultation.

2.       Delegated authority be given to the Director (Planning and Growth), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning to make minor non-material consequential changes to the documents, as necessary.

(Councillor Sarah Broughton declared a pecuniary interest as she and her husband owned a parcel of land within an area in Great Barton identified within the West Suffolk Local Plan Preferred Options consultation document. She left the meeting during the consideration of this item and did not return, and therefore, she did not take part in the debate or the vote.

Councillors Broughton, Griffiths and Mildmay-White declared localnon-pecuniary interest as appointed shareholder representatives of Barley Homes (Group) Ltd. Councillors Griffiths and Mildmay-White remained in the meeting for the consideration of the item and voted (Councillor Broughton had already declared a separate pecuniary interest and had left the meeting.))

The Cabinet considered this report, which was recommending to Council, approval of the West Suffolk Local Plan Preferred Options document, for the purposes of public consultation.

The West Suffolk Local Plan would cover the period up to 2040.  Upon adoption it would set out the Council’s policies to address housing and employment needs and other associated economic, social and environmental priorities. 

It was an important tool in supporting delivery of West Suffolk Council’s strategic priorities and essential for the continuation of an effective planning service. In addition, the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004), required local planning authorities to prepare and keep an up-to-date local plan.

The Preferred Options document (Appendix A) represented the next stage of the plan making process. It was proposed to consult on the Preferred Options Local Plan and supporting documents for eight-plus weeks from Thursday 26 May to Tuesday 26 July 2022.

Appendix A was divided into three parts, namely:

Part One: strategic policies

Part Two: non strategic policies

Part Three: site allocations

A summary of the content of each part was detailed in paragraph 2.2 of the report.

Councillor David Roach, Portfolio Holder for Planning, drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet, including that, subject to Council approval, it was important to note that the plan was still evolving, and no firm decisions had been made at this stage.  The Council would continue to gather evidence throughout the local plan preparation and this consultation was an important aspect of this. Therefore, this was not what the final plan would look like.

The response received from this consultation would help shape the next version of the local plan.  That version would be the document which the Council proposed to submit for examination to the Planning Inspectorate and would be subject to a further round of consultation prior to its submission.

Councillor Roach made specific reference to the work undertaken on the Employment Land Review. Emphasis was placed on the fact that gathering the evidence base for this element of the local plan was still ongoing and evolving.

It had been brought to the Council’s attention that there was an omission in the Employment Land Review that was published in December 2021.  The Jockey club were listed in the document having been surveyed as a stakeholder when they had not been.

The Council had responded to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 353.

Supplementary Agenda Pack ‘A’

Appendix A to Report number: CAB/WS/22/019

Portfolio holder: Councillor David Roach

Lead officers: Julie Baird and Marie Smith

This provides the draft consultation document for Part One: Strategic Policies section of the Preferred Options consultation. It sets out the draft local plan vision and objectives and the strategic policies that are the heart of the West Suffolk Local Plan. These contain the Council’s development strategy establishing our commitment to achieving net zero, adapting to and mitigating for climate change, setting the pattern, scale and quality of development to meet our need in West Suffolk to 2040, and making provision for all types of development, infrastructure, community facilities and the conservation and enhancement of the natural and built environment (where these issues relate to strategic priorities).

See minute 353. above.

Supplementary Agenda Pack ‘B’

Appendix A to Report number: CAB/WS/22/019

Portfolio holder: Councillor David Roach

Lead officers: Julie Baird and Marie Smith

This provides the draft consultation document for Part Two: Non Strategic Policies section of the Preferred Options consultation. The non strategic policies are locally specific policies that will be used in day-to-day planning decisions (providing more detail on the strategic policies, and providing criteria that proposals are required to comply with).

See minute 353. above.

Supplementary Agenda Pack ‘C’

Appendix A to Report number: CAB/WS/22/019

Portfolio holder: Councillor David Roach

Lead officers: Julie Baird and Marie Smith

This provides the draft consultation document for Part Three: Site Allocations section of the Preferred Options consultation. These include residential, mixed-use and employment site allocations. It also identifies existing employment areas, town centres and local centres.

See minute 353. above.

To consider the most recently published version of the Cabinet’s Decisions Plan

Report number:     CAB/WS/22/020

Portfolio holder: Councillor John Griffiths

Lead officer: Ian Gallin

The Cabinet considered this report which was the Cabinet Decisions Plan covering the period 1 April 2022 to 31 May 2023.

Members took the opportunity to review the intended forthcoming decisions of the Cabinet; however, no further information or amendments were requested on this occasion.