Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Nightingale, Pegram and Smith.

Dr Roman Znajek has retired from being a Cambridge City Councillor.

Mrs Heazell has retired from being a South Cambridgeshire Councillor.

Members are asked to declare at this stage any interests that they may have in an item shown on this agenda. If any member of the Committee is unsure whether or not they should declare an interest on a particular matter, they should seek advice from the Head of Legal Services before the meeting.

None.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 18 April 2012 as a correct record. 

The minutes of the 18 April 2012 meeting were approved and signed as a correct record subject to Councillor Smith being listed as an attendee.

The Committee received a report from the Urban Design & Conservation Manager regarding the Design Codes for Strategic Development Sites within the Cambridge Fringe Areas - Informal Guidance Note.

Since August 2007, both Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council have required design codes for the urban extension developments in the City Fringes. It is expected that the new town of Northstowe will be “coded”.

The report outlined provided an overview of the guidance note “Design Codes for Strategic Development Sites within the Cambridge Fringe Areas – Informal Guidance Note”. The guidance note updated a previous briefing note prepared by officers in 2007 (not approved by the Joint Development Control Committee (JDCC) as it had not yet been constituted at the time).

The guidance note would need to be approved separately by the Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee in future.

In response to Members’ questions the Head of Planning Services, New Neighbourhoods Development Manager and Urban Design & Conservation Manager confirmed the following:

(i)                The Design Code document would signpost the input of all contributing authorities (City, County and South Cambridgeshire Councils).

(ii)              The Design Code document would apply to areas of major change around the city and fringe areas. It would not apply to medium or small scale sites.

(iii)            Design codes were required by planning conditions. Conditions could not be discharged if the Design Code document could not be completed, or contained errors.

(iv)            The Design Code document would apply to mixed use sites and residential ones. However, it was primarily focused on residential sites in line with Central Government guidance.

(v)              The Cambridgeshire Quality Panel was an independent body that would become involved in the consultation process as required. This was likely to be mid-process when the Panel could review well developed draft proposals. The Panel would receive officer support and relevant briefing information in order to come to objective decisions.

(vi)            JDCC Members would be advised of the timetable for applications to be considered through the Forward Plan.

Members approved by 10 votes to 0 (with 1 abstention) to agree the use of the updated document: “Design Codes for Strategic Development Sites with the Cambridge Fringe Areas” as informal guidance for the preparation of future design codes for the Cambridge Fringe site developments.

The Committee received a report from the New Neighbourhoods Development Manager regarding the Member Development Programme.

The report provided an update on the Joint Development Control Committee (JDCC) Member development programme, following on from the extended programme approved by the JDCC in January 2012, which authorised a number of further sessions to take place up to April 2012.

The overall programme has now been running since August 2011 and a total of eight sessions have taken place. Following discussions with JDCC Members, the report recommends extending the programme on a permanent basis until further notice.

A programme of topics for future sessions up to the end of 2012 was attached in Appendix 1 of the Officer’s report. An additional session on Community Infrastructure Levy and renewables could be added to the topic list.

There will be additional opportunities for JDCC Members to take part in wider training programmes that may be organised either jointly by the three partner authorities or through one of the three local authorities on an individual basis.

A site visit of fringe sites was proposed for June 2012. The Committee Manager and New Neighbourhoods Development Manager undertook to confirm possible dates once JDCC membership was confirmed 24 May 2012.

In response to Members’ questions the Head of Planning Services and New Neighbourhoods Development Manager said the a session on the Community Infrastructure Levy should be integrated into the programme on 31 October 2012, instead of the Adoption session. This would allow for a wider half day Member session on adoption processes to take place separately, which could be open to all councillors from the JDCC authorities. The adoption process was a key corporate issue for the authorities as it covered all types of adoption such as road and street lighting. Whilst adoption in itself was not technically a responsibility of JDCC, adoption strategy and processes had a significant impact on the planning process, so JDCC could join up issues for the public. For example, encouraging new roads to be put forward for adoption at an early a stage as possible.

Members unanimously approved:

(i)                The roll forward of the Member Development Programme on a permanent basis, until further notice.

(ii)              The schedule of topics for future sessions as set out in Appendix 1 of the Officer’s report and as agreed to be amended above.

(iii)            That: (a) changes to topics/scheduling and (b) topics for future sessions post-December 2012 would be agreed via Chair, Vice Chair and Spokes.