Issue - decisions

Matter for Decision:  

Planning Policy Statement 3 required Local Authorities to produce a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) to form part of a robust evidence base to inform the production of Development Plan Documents. The main purpose of the SHLAA was to assess the amount of land that may be available for new housing in Cambridge over the next 20 years in order to inform the review of the Cambridge Local Plan.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Planning and Sustainable Transport:

(i)                Agreed the draft SHLAA for consultation (Appendices A & B of Officer’s report) subject to any amendments from Ward Members and; and any amendments resulting from ongoing work (Phase 2) with land owners and the Housing Market Partnership over the summer.

(ii)              Agreed that if there are any major changes in approach resulting from consultation with the Housing Market Partnership over the summer, these are considered and agreed in consultation with Chair and spokes before public consultation.

(iii)            Approved the draft schedule of consultees.

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 Principal Planning Policy Officer regarding the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

The committee made the following comments in response to the report.

(i)    Asked for members of the general public and neighbours immediate to sites (eg RAXON) to be added to the list of consultees as set out in Appendix C of the Officer’s report.

Officers undertook to amend the list of consultees.

In response to Member’s questions the (Officer) confirmed the following:

(i)    Noted Member’s concern at the decline in the number of petrol stations in the City. Officers held discussions with landowners concerning SHLAA aspirations to ensure the public have access to fuel. Landowners could seek permission for change of use, such as building houses on land formally occupied by a petrol station, but it was the prerogative of the Council to grant this permission or not by considering the competing pressures for land use.

(ii)    Local Plan review stage 1 would look at ways to balance competing demands for land use for housing, employment and protected open spaces. Sites in the report should produce a potential 16,000 – 17,000 dwellings, of which 11,000 could realistically be expect to go forward. Fresh sites would be sought through the consultation and assessed in line with current ones outlined in the report.

(iii)    Criteria for selecting sites developed from the Regional Spatial Strategy, which set the evidence base for the Local Plan review. 14,000 homes were envisaged in the Regional Spatial Strategy, but the Council was working towards more achievable levels through the SHLAA.

The Committee resolved by 2 votes to 0 to adopt the recommendations and amended Appendix C of the Officer’s report.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

Not applicable.