Decision details

Decision of:

Councillor Thornburrow, Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Open Spaces

Reference:

19/URGENCY/P&T/10

Date of decision:                        

1 November 2019

Published:   08 November 2019

Decision Type:

Non Key

Matter for Decision:

1.    To agree the Statement of Consultation (see Appendix 1) on the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five-Year Housing Land Supply document including a summary of representations and the Councils’ responses, and consequential and other necessary modifications.

2.     To agree the final Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five Year Housing Land Supply – Main Document and Annex (see Appendices 2 and 3) to be published on the Councils’ websites. The Greater Cambridge housing trajectory and five year housing land supply calculations have been prepared jointly with Cambridge City Council, consistent with the adopted Local Plans.

3.     To delegate any further minor editing changes to the Statement of Consultation and Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five Year Housing Land Supply – Main Document and Annex to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development where they are technical matters.

Why the decision had to be made (and any alternative options):

In January 2019, the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport agreed that the Greater Cambridge housing trajectory and five-year supply calculations would be agreed by the Executive Member for Planning Policy at Cambridge City Council via a decision outside of a meeting (together with the Cabinet Member for Planning at South Cambridgeshire Council).

The Executive Councillor’s decision(s):

That the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Open Spaces agreed:

1. the Statement of Consultation (see Appendix 1) on the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five-Year Housing Land Supply document including a summary of representations and the Councils’ responses, and consequential and other necessary modifications.
2. the final Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five Year Housing Land Supply – Main Document and Annex (see Appendices 2 and 3) to be published on the Councils’ websites. The Greater Cambridge housing trajectory and five year housing land supply calculations have been prepared jointly with Cambridge City Council, consistent with the adopted Local Plans.
3. to delegate any further minor editing changes to the Statement of Consultation and Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five Year Housing Land Supply – Main Document and Annex to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development where they are technical matters.

Reasons for the decision:

The Greater Cambridge housing trajectory is used by the Councils to calculate their five-year housing land supply and to demonstrate that anticipated housing delivery will meet or exceed the housing requirements set out in their Local Plans.

National planning policy and guidance requires that a local planning authority should identify and update annually at least a 5 year supply of specific deliverable housing sites. A new housing trajectory is required to establish the Greater Cambridge five-year housing land supply for the purposes of making planning decisions. In addition, South Cambridgeshire District Council has three planning appeals where the appellants are challenging the Council’s five year housing land supply. The first hearing is on 12 November 2019. The assumptions made by the Councils’ on the deliverability of sites will be challenged through these appeals and therefore by publishing the updated Greater Cambridge housing trajectory and five-year supply calculations, the Councils will be able to use the most up-to-date information for these appeals.

Scrutiny consideration:

The Chair and Spokesperson of Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee were consulted prior to the action being authorised.

Report:

The Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five-Year Housing Land Supply – Main Document, Annex and Statement of Consultation Statement can be viewed at the link below:

https://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/ecCatDisplay.aspx?sch=doc&cat=13458

Conflicts of interest:

None known.

Comments:

No adverse comments were made.