Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision

 

To consider and comment before decision by the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport

 

i.       Agreed the responses to the representations received during public consultation and the consequential amendments to the SPD (Annex B of Appendix A of the officer’s report)

 

ii.      Approved the SPD (Appendix B of the officer’s report) in anticipation of the Local Plan, and to agree that it should be carried forward for adoption as an SPD at the same time as the Local Plan.

 

Reasons for the Decision   

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Senior Sustainability Officer. 

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

i.        Highlighted table 5.1 featured in the report and noted that the year should be 2039 and not 3039. 

ii.       Questioned whether the SPD would be broadly similar in other areas of the country. 

iii.      Noted that sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) featured frequently within the report and questioned where responsibilities lied for the maintenance of the systems and if they failed.

iv.     Asked whether SuDS could be fitted retrospectively to sites.

v.      Questioned whether funding was available for fitting SuDS retrospectively. 

vi.     Asked whether there were any implications resulting from having to wait for the approval of the Local Plan.  Any implications waiting for approval for local plan, can developers do stuff we don’t want them to do? It was noted that the use of SuDS is already being achieved in developments across the city and that national policy and guidance can also be used in the interim period prior to formal adoption of the SPD.

vii.    Questioned how South Cambridgeshire District Council were able to approve the SPD without having an approved Local Plan.   

 

The Senior Sustainability Officer said the following in response to Members questions:

 

i.        Confirmed that the SPD adhered to current national standards and was adapted to meet the demands of the Cambridgeshire landscape and the Council’s vision for drainage systems.

ii.       Explained that it was a requirement of national planning policy that SuDS be incorporated within planning applications.  Applicants were required to set out within the application who would manage and maintain the systems. The management and maintenance of drainage systems was often contracted out to specialist management companies, with the Council also adopting and maintaining SuDS were these are provided in public open space and designed in line with our SuDS Design and Adoption Guidance.

iii.      Confirmed that SuDS could be fitted to sites retrospectively and projects were underway to retro-fit sites.  The SPD was focussed more on new developments but there was a large amount of information available on the internet, in particular the SUSDRAIN website. 

iv.     Explained that for certain projects S106 contributions could be utilised and drew attention to the potential use of Sustainable City Grants for smaller projects.

v.      Explained that South Cambridgeshire District Council had a policy in place from which the SPD could be attached.

 

The Committee unanimously resolved to endorse the recommendations.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.