Agenda item

Report No: LOP/FH/15/001

(This report is also being considered by the SEBC Sustainable Development Working Party on 28 January 2015)

(The Appendices to this report will be circulated as soon as practicable, after receipt of the Inspector’s Report on 19 January 2015).

(Report No LOP/FH/15/001)

The Strategic Planning Manager presented this report which explained that following the adoption of the Core Strategies for both Forest Heath District Council (FHDC) and St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) in 2010, work had commenced on a joint document of Development Management Policies.  Two consultations were held in early/late 2012, leading to both Councils submitting the document for examination in 2013.

Examination hearings into certain matters were called and conducted by an independent Planning Inspector during July 2014.  During this time, objectors were able to put to the Inspector why the document should be changed.  Following these hearings, the Inspector asked that his recommended main modifications be the subject of public consultation and this was conducted for a period of six weeks, which ended in November 2014.

The Council received the Inspector’s report into the examination in January 2015 (attached as Appendix A).  The receipt of this report formally closed the examination and was the penultimate stage in the preparation of the Joint Development Management Policies Document.

The Inspector’s role was to consider whether the Document complied with relevant legislation and was ‘sound’.  The Inspector’s report concluded that the document was ‘sound’, provided that a number of modifications were made.  Therefore, the document presented for adoption was attached as Appendix B to the report, which included the main modifications as required by the Planning Inspector, along with the additional modifications as suggested by Officers.

This document was also being considered by SEBC’s Sustainable Development Working Party on 28 January 23015 and also by the Joint Development Management Policies Committee on 11 February 2015.  Subject to the outcome of these meetings, formal adoption would be proposed at the Council meetings on 24 February 2015 (SEBC) and 27 February 2015 (FHDC).

Therefore, the Strategic Planning Manager requested that the Working Group considered the content of Appendix B.  However, it was also explained that the Working Group would be unable to make any further modifications to this Document.

Whilst considering Appendix B, various comments were made on the document and it was requested that the following be specifically recorded:

1.       Policy DM3 – Masterplans ((p) page 11 of Appendix B)

Councillor Jefferys queried as to why the references to the provision of “… composting unit and water butt per dwelling…. and litter and dog waste bins on areas of amenity/open space” had been removed from the Document by the Inspector.

The Strategic Planning Manager explained that these specific references had been removed as these were not Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) compliant and, therefore, were not necessary infrastructure required for the development to commence.  Therefore, the Inspector considered that it was inappropriate for the Council to require these types of infrastructure to be provided.

Councillor Jefferys wished it to be recorded that he considered that the provision of litter and dog bins on areas of amenity/open space seemed to be good practice and expressed his disappointment that these requirements had been removed from this Policy, by the Inspector.

Councillor Mrs Lynch also stated that one of her Parish Councils within her Ward had also expressed disappointment that this requirement had been removed from the Policy.

2.       Policy DM8 – Low and Zero Carbon Energy Generation- Solar Farms (page 25 of Appendix B)

Councillor Jefferys referred to the installation of solar farms and wished it to be recorded that he considered that this Policy needed to be further strengthened in relation to the screening of such developments in rural settings.

The Strategic Planning Manager confirmed that these comments would be reported to the Joint Development Management Policies Committee at their meeting on 11 February 2015.

With the vote being unanimous, it was

RESOLVED:

That:-

1.       The content of the Inspector’s report be noted.

and

RECOMMENDED TO THE JOINT DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES COMMITTEE:

2.       That the following documents be recommended for adoption by full Council:

·         The Joint Development Management Policies Document (Appendix B).

·         The Habitats Regulations Screening Assessments for Joint Development Management Policies Document, (Appendix C).

·         The Sustainability Appraisal for Joint Development Management Policies Document (Appendix D).

·         The District Policies Map and Town Centre Maps (Appendix E).

(Councillor Millar joined the meeting at 4.20 pm, during the discussion of this item)