The Link Between Housing and Planning: The Local Development Framework and Core Strategy
A presentation will be made.
Minutes:
The Board was provided with a verbal report on the link between Housing and Planning and the new Core Strategy.
The Board was advised that the Core Strategy formed part of the Council’s Local Development Framework (LDF) which was being compiled at present and would replace the existing Unitary Development Plan (UDP). The Core Strategy was a key document in terms of housing; as the main spatial planning document for the Borough, it would set out where new developments would take place and contain planning guidance on new housing, acceptable densities and a range of other issues.
It was noted that an joint Member/Officer Working Group had been established to consider the Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) that should be contained within the Core Strategy and Housing officers would input into this. The Chair requested that any proposals in relation to SPG be passed onto Partners as soon as possible.
The Board was advised that the Core Strategy would bring together existing and new SPG in relation to housing. It was envisaged that this would provide a more consistent approach and allow less room for interpretation.
Concern was raised that a protocol was required to ensure that planning applications, made by either the Council or its Partners, were discussed with planning officers to ensure that technical issues, which may result in the application being refused, were discussed before the application was determined. It was noted that there had been occasions where planning applications made by the Council itself and Partners had been refused due to technical issues that could have been resolved before the application was considered.
The Chair underlined the need to ensure that Partners were included in relation to new policies and consultation exercises taking place. In this instance it was particularly important that there was discussion with Registered Social Landlords (RSL’s) regarding applications that were made and supported by the Council.
There was a general consensus that it would be useful if Partners were to meet outside the meeting and discuss in more detail a case study of an application made by an RSL where problems had been experienced. This meeting could be used as a forum to look at the establishment of a protocol for discussing planning applications by the Council’s partners.
The Chair requested that this meeting should take place prior to the Boards next meeting and that a report should be produced setting out the outcome of discussion at the meeting and submitted to the Board.
RESOLVED: