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Minutes:
Matter for Decision
The report sought agreement on the proposed content of, and the participation and communication strategy
for, the first formal round of consultation for the Greater Cambridge Local
Plan, known as the Issues & Options consultation.
Decision
of Executive Councilor for Planning Policy and Open Spaces and the Executive
Councilor for Transport and Community Safety
i.
Noted
the Lessons Learned and Good Practice review (Appendix A)
ii.
Noted the
Statement of Consultation – Report on Local Plan Workshops (Appendix B –
chapters 2-5);
iii.
Noted
the feedback from the Joint Local Plan Advisory Group (Appendix I); and
iv.
Approved
the Local Plan Issues & Options report text (at Appendix E) and supporting
documents (at Appendices F, G and H) and consultation process (at Section VIII
and Appendix B, chapter 6).
v.
Approved
the consultation with the Chair and Spokes for the Planning & Transport
Scrutiny Committee, in liaison with the South Cambridgeshire Lead Cabinet
Member for Planning and in consultation with members of the Joint Local
Planning Advisory Group, to consider and agree, as is consistent with this
Council’s Corporate Objectives, any material changes to the Local Plan Issues
& Options report text (at Appendix E) and supporting documents (at
Appendices A, B (chapter 6), F, G and H) prior to the commencement of the
consultation period, including any proposed by South Cambridgeshire District
Council.
vi.
Delegated
authority to the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development, in
liaison with the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Open Spaces and
South Cambridgeshire District Council Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, and the
Chair and Spokes for the Planning & Transport Scrutiny Committee, and in
consultation with members of the Joint Local Planning Advisory Group, to make editorial changes to the Local Plan
Issues & Options report text (at Appendix E) and supporting documents (at
Appendices A, B (chapter 6), F, G and H)
prior to the commencement of the consultation period (to comprise minor
amendments and factual updates and clarifications).
vii.
Delegated
authority to the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development, in
liaison with the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Open Spaces and
South Cambridgeshire District Council Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, and the
Chair and Spokes for the Planning & Transport Scrutiny Committee to update
the Local Development Scheme to reflect the amended consultation period.
Reason 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 Joint Director of
Planning & Economic Development which formed part of the early stages in
preparing the next Local Plan which was being prepared jointly by Cambridge
City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.
The Committee received a presentation to the report with an
introduction from the Strategy & Economy Manager, followed by an External
Consultant who presented ‘Lessons learnt’ from the recent local plan.
The Joint Director of Planning & Economic Development
and External Consultant, Planning Policy Manager (Interim) said the following
in response to Members’ questions:
i.
The
issue of affordable housing was a challenging one, particularly in Cambridge.
Plans have to reflect national guidance which does not support providing
affordable housing on schemes of ten or less dwellings.
ii.
Officers
would be talking to various government agencies such as the Environment Agency
to take into consideration climate change issues.
iii.
Every
year the City Council published an annual monitoring report which
provided information on the number of affordable houses delivered through the
planning process. Evidence from this report would also help to assist in
developing new policies
iv.
A
policy review had begun on the adopted Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire Local
Plans 2018. Discussions had started with officers on their views on the
performance of these policies. An external consultant was also being used on
this matter. Discussions would also be held on what new policies would be
required.
The Planning Policy
Manager gave an introduction on the stakeholder workshops undertaken ahead of
the issues and options stage.
In total eight
workshops had been held with members of the council, stakeholders, statutory
consultees, landowners, developers, resident associations, parish councils,
officers and local businesses.
The outcome of the
discussions from the workshops was then fed into the Issues and Options
document.
The Principal
Planning Policy Officer then provided a brief presentation on the issues and
options draft document (Appendix E), highlighting the headline themes,
presentation, and context of the plan and consultation.
In response to Members’ comments and questions Officers said
the following:
i.
Any minor editorial amendments could be sent to
the Officers
after the meeting.
ii.
Noted the comment that the section titled
‘getting involved’ be moved to the end of the section ‘what happens next’.
iii.
Noted the comment that consistency was required
throughout all sections to highlight what would happen if the plan did not come
to fruition and highlighted ‘jobs, housing and infrastructure’.
iv.
Agreed clarification was required on the
explanation of item 3.40 of the document.
v.
The sustainability assessment was an important
requirement which would need to demonstrate that a sufficient and suitable
evaluation had been undertaken; this would test the options available and the
information would be made available throughout the process which would include
the assessment of locations and the impact on the historic core of the city.
vi.
As we move through the plan making process,
strategy options and sites would be tested and brought to committee for
consideration; at this stage a precautionary approach had been taken by the
Sustainability Appraisal and further exploration was required.
vii.
Officers were working to national definition of
sustainable development, asking communities to consider the economic, social
and environmental impact.
viii.
As the plan was developed some outcomes would be
improved around the definition of sustainable development and some will be
harmed.
ix.
Acknowledged the City Council had declared a
climate emergency, the Local Plan was separate to that decision, public
engagement was needed on how issues should be prioritised.
x.
The public consultation should assist in the decision-making
process of the local plan; some members of the public may not agree that
climate change was a priority which would then be weighed alongside other
views.
xi.
The sustainability appraisal process would
consider the subject of climate change.
xii.
If the committee decided the Local Plan should
take the climate change agenda as a priority over all other matters, the
spatial choices would potentially focus on densifying the city and developing
the green belt.
xiii.
The Plan would have to evidence how it would
accomplish the UK’s declared climate commitment to achieve net zero carbon.
xiv.
Confirmed that climate change was the first
theme to be mentioned in the document.
xv.
The web version would be headline grabbing; the
user could go straight to the issue which was important to them such as climate
change.
The Assistant Director and Principal Planning Policy Officer
then provided the Committee with information regarding how the consultation
process would engage with local communities.
In response to Members’ comments and questions the Assistant
Director and Principal Planning Officer said the following:
i.
Issues raised within the workshops revolved
around the following seven themes: Climate Change, Biodiversity, Wellbeing and
Social Inclusion, Jobs, Infrastructure and Housing.
ii.
These themes would be carried forward in the
public consultation asking the community what is important to them; the
700-pages of documents which had been presented to the committee, would be
broken down into bite size chunks.
iii.
Recognised that communication was a key factor
throughout the entire process and different approaches were being considered.
iv.
In conjunction with the workshops and various
social media platforms, pop-up events would be taken to locations such as
schools, community centres, and resident and housing associations.
v.
Members and staff would be asked to identify
places and events where the pop-up events could take place during January and
February.
vi.
Part of being able to engage effectively was to
ensure simple accessible dialogue which did not intimidate the reader.
vii.
Currently in the process of recruiting a
communications officer to work on event management, logistics and
communication.
The Committee endorsed the recommendation as set out
in the
Officer’s report by 7 votes to 0.
The Executive Councillors approved the recommendations.
Conflicts
of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillors (and any Dispensations
Granted)
No conflicts
of interest were declared by the Executive Councillors
Supporting documents: