Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director for Planning, Regeneration and Development. To be introduced by the Cabinet member for Planning.] The report seeks Cabinet’s approval for the publication of the Authority Monitoring Report 2014-15. Publication of the AMR is a statutory requirement. The AMR assesses the effectiveness of Haringey’s planning policies and reports on milestones in the Local Development Scheme.

The Cabinet Member for Planning introduced the Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) which assessed the effectiveness of Haringey’s planning policies. The AMR covered the monitoring period from 1^st April to 31^st March 2015 and was the first one produced since the Corporate Plan 2015-18 was published. The report therefore also assessed performance against the priority outcomes reflected in the Corporate Plan.

The report also sought to set out a framework for future reporting and explore opportunities for alignments with corporate monitoring processes.  The Cabinet Member advised that the report highlighted the challenges faced in delivery of new homes, with the number of affordable homes being delivered, 406, falling short of the requirements set out in the London Plan. The Cabinet Member also advised that changes in funding for affordable homes and legislative changes meant that delivery levels of affordable homes would likely be reduced further going forward.

In response to a question from Cllr Morris, the Cabinet Member for Planning acknowledged the issue of pedestrian safety and responded that enforcement of the Council’s 20 MPH zone was a significant factor in the Council’s attempts to reduce the number of pedestrian casualties on the Haringey’s streets. The Cabinet Member for Planning also advised that the Council was in the process of developing an updated Transport Strategy that would include improvements to road safety and an early draft of this document could be shared with the Member.

RESOLVED

1.    To note the findings of the Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) for the monitoring period 2014/15;

2.    To approve the Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) 2014/15 for publication on the Council’s website; and

3.    To approve undertaking of an interim review of development data (i.e. planning permissions and completions) for the 2015/2016 reporting year, to be published as an addendum to this AMR.

Reasons for decision

The publication of the Authority Monitoring Report is a requirement of the Localism Act 2011. Approval of the AMR 2014/15 for publication will ensure that the Council meets its statutory obligations for planning performance monitoring.

Publication of the 2014/15 AMR, and addendum covering 2015/16 development data, will provide for timely reporting of up-to-date technical evidence needed to support Haringey’s emerging Local Plans when they are considered at public examination later this year. 

Alternative options considered

The Localism Act 2011 requires local planning authorities to produce monitoring reports. The Council considers that Haringey’s existing procedure of annual monitoring is an effective way for presenting the effectiveness of planning policies, within existing resources. As such, no other options were considered.