Issue - meetings

Council BELIEVES its Planning Committees beneficially shape and add value to development within our area; and that, contrary to the government’s characterisation, they do not simply ‘say no’, but create leverage which helps makes local development as good and as sustainable as it can be - and that their track record demonstrates this.

It also BELIEVES that, whatever the situation in other parts of the country, the main constraints on policy-compliant development in our area are: failure to implement permissions already given, speed of implementation enabling infrastructure by third party organisations, the capacity of the construction industry and the availability of so-called ‘viability’ to claim exemption from affordable housing policy.

Noting its initiatives to streamline the planning process as a means of encouraging construction activity, council URGES the government not to eliminate the processes which in our area add value to development, in terms of both an enabling policy framework and approval for individual projects – democratically based and equipped with local knowledge to judge context.

Instead of impairing good practice where it exists, council URGES the government to target those parts of the country where there is a failure to adopt local plans to meet societal needs and/or mis-use of development control to frustrate compliant development; and to assist us in this area by focusing on more significant impediments to needed development such as:

·      Implementing: a ‘use it or lose it’ approach to planning permission;

·      Bringing forward a supported skills plan for the construction industry;

·      Acceleration of supportive infrastructure such as water, energy and transport;

·      More prompt delivery of national planning decisions like the sewage works relocation (on which we depend for other local decisions);

·      Making requirements for affordable housing and community facilities more ‘escape-proof’ and enforceable.

Accordingly council REQUESTS that the Chief Executive writes to both to the Deputy Prime Minister and to the local MPs who represent different parts of the city of Cambridge, Daniel Zeichner and Pippa Heylings, to encourage them to ensure that upcoming legislation and other government policy reflects these views.

Councillor Porrer proposed and Councillor Payne seconded the following motion:

Council BELIEVES its Planning Committees beneficially shape and add value to development within our area; and that, contrary to the government’s characterisation, they do not simply ‘say no’, but create leverage which helps makes local development as good and as sustainable as it can be - and that their track record demonstrates this.

It also BELIEVES that, whatever the situation in other parts of the country, the main constraints on policy-compliant development in our area are: failure to implement permissions already given, speed of implementation enabling infrastructure by third party organisations, the capacity of the construction industry and the availability of so-called ‘viability’ to claim exemption from affordable housing policy.

Noting its initiatives to streamline the planning process as a means of encouraging construction activity, council URGES the government not to eliminate the processes which in our area add value to development, in terms of both an enabling policy framework and approval for individual projects – democratically based and equipped with local knowledge to judge context.

Instead of impairing good practice where it exists, council URGES the government to target those parts of the country where there is a failure to adopt local plans to meet societal needs and/or mis-use of development control to frustrate compliant development; and to assist us in this area by focusing on more significant impediments to needed development such as:

·       Implementing: a ‘use it or lose it’ approach to planning permission;

·       Bringing forward a supported skills plan for the construction industry;

·       Acceleration of supportive infrastructure such as water, energy and transport;

·       More prompt delivery of national planning decisions like the sewage works relocation (on which we depend for other local decisions);

·       Making requirements for affordable housing and community facilities more ‘escape-proof’ and enforceable.

Accordingly council REQUESTS that the Chief Executive writes to both to the Deputy Prime Minister and to the local MPs who represent different parts of the city of Cambridge, Daniel Zeichner and Pippa Heylings, to encourage them to ensure that upcoming legislation and other government policy reflects these views.

During discussion of the motion, Councillor Thornburrow proposed and Councillor Baigent seconded stopping the debate and moving straight to the vote to accept the motion or not, after Councillor Porrer had the right to reply as proposer of the original motion.

This proposal to move to the vote was accepted by 19 votes to 14 with 1 abstention.

The motion was lost by 14 votes to 21 with 1 abstention.

Council BELIEVES its Planning Committees beneficially shape and add value to development within our area; and that, contrary to the government’s characterisation, they do not simply ‘say no’, but create leverage which helps makes local development as good and as sustainable as it can be - and that their track record demonstrates this.

It also BELIEVES that, whatever the situation in other parts of the country, the main constraints on policy-compliant development in our area are: failure to implement permissions already given, speed of implementation enabling infrastructure by third party organisations, the capacity of the construction industry and the availability of so-called ‘viability’ to claim exemption from affordable housing policy.

Noting its initiatives to streamline the planning process as a means of encouraging construction activity, council URGES the government not to eliminate the processes which in our area add value to development, in terms of both an enabling policy framework and approval for individual projects – democratically based and equipped with local knowledge to judge context.

Instead of impairing good practice where it exists, council URGES the government to target those parts of the country where there is a failure to adopt local plans to meet societal needs and/or mis-use of development control to frustrate compliant development; and to assist us in this area by focusing on more significant impediments to needed development such as:

·      Implementing: a ‘use it or lose it’ approach to planning permission;

·      Bringing forward a supported skills plan for the construction industry;

·      Acceleration of supportive infrastructure such as water, energy and transport;

·      More prompt delivery of national planning decisions like the sewage works relocation (on which we depend for other local decisions);

·      Making requirements for affordable housing and community facilities more ‘escape-proof’ and enforceable.

Accordingly council REQUESTS that the Chief Executive writes to both to the Deputy Prime Minister and to the local MPs who represent different parts of the city of Cambridge, Daniel Zeichner and Pippa Heylings, to encourage them to ensure that upcoming legislation and other government policy reflects these views.

Item deferred to 17 March 2025 council meeting.