Agenda and minutes

Please note this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method.  Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting.  Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on.  By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The Chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual, or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

RESOLVED

·         That the Chair’s announcement regarding the filming of the meeting for live or subsequent broadcast be noted.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Beacham, Doron and Mallett. Apologies for lateness were received from Cllr Carroll.

To note the draft North London Waste Plan and proposed consultation period and to comment on two associated Memorandums of Understanding. 

The Committee considered a consultation draft of the Joint North London Waste Plan (NLWP), a statutory document required to ensure adequate provision of suitable land to accommodate waste management facilities to manage waste generated in North London up to 2031. The Plan would provide policies against which planning applications for waste development would be assessed, safeguard existing waste sites and allocate sites and areas with the potential to accommodate waste facilities in the future. The seven North London partner boroughs were required to consult on and approve the final NLWP. 

The attention of the Committee was drawn to an amendment to the recommendation as set out within the report to remove the reference to the Committee commenting on the two underpinning Memorandum of Understandings, which formalised operational issues between the partner boroughs. The Committee were also referred to a tabled addendum to the report setting out minor and non material wording changes to the draft Plan. These changes, plus the comments of the Committee on the draft Plan, would be incorporated within a report being submitted to July Cabinet seeking approval for the release of the Plan for consultation and for the Council to enter into the two Memorandum of Understandings. 

Officers outlined to the Committee the approach to be taken with regards to the consideration of the Pinkham Way site as a potential waste site allocation under the Plan. In light of considerable opposition from residents to the utilisation of the site for waste purposes, a definitive position had yet to be reached on the future of the site. An open and evidence based approach would be used to determine its suitability as a waste site including representations received during the public consultation period.

The Committee raised the following points in discussion of the draft Plan:

·         Concerns were raised that the proposed consultation would run over the summer holiday period, potentially impacting on the level of responses received. Officers advised that this was a consequence of the wider approval timescale for the final Plan needing to take into account the Mayoral elections and Purdah restrictions but that in mitigation, the consultation period would be extended into mid September.

[19.13 - Cllr Carroll enters the meeting].

·         The Committee requested the production of an executive summary for use in the public consultation.

·         Clarification was sought on the process for the final selection of waste sites under the Plan. It was advised that a set of criteria had been established against which current and proposed waste sites would be assessed and filtered. The final NLWP would be subject to independent scrutiny by a planning inspector to examine whether the Plan met legal and soundness tests.

·         Assurances were sought that the consultation would provide for alternative suggestions for consideration inline with a recent Supreme Court ruling endorsing the general principles of consultation. Officers confirmed that the s18 consultation would set out issues and options underpinned by a sustainability appraisal.

·         Members identified inconsistencies in the dates given for the NLWP period within the report  ...  view the full minutes text for item 173.

To note and provide comments on the draft revised Statement of Community Involvement.

The Committee considered a report on the draft revised Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) which set out arrangements for community involvement in the Council’s plan making and development management functions. Revision was required of the current SCI to reflect legislative changes, the availability of new technologies and changing patterns of engagement. The revised plan would also take into account recent scrutiny review recommendations around enhancing engagement. Approval would be sought from Cabinet in July to release the draft SCI for consultation, with a view to a revised SCI being in place for the next round of consultation on local planning policy documents following criticisms received on the process followed for the Local Plan.

The Committee raised the following points in discussion of the report:

·         Clarification was sought on the status of the Crouch End Neighbourhood Plan. Officers advised that the Plan had yet to be submitted.

·         The timescale for review of the planning protocol was queried. Officers advised they hoped to bring a report back to the next Regulatory Committee meeting with proposals.

·         New approaches to improving engagement with black and ethnic minority communities were questioned. Officers advised that the focus would primarily be on utilising social media tools, such as changing the publishing format of documents to allow the use of translation apps to convert documents into community languages.

·         Wording changes were requested to section 4 of the report to more clearly set out the link between the update of the SCI and future consultation on the Local Plan. Under section 6, further expansion was required on the relationship and sensitivities between the Local Plan and neighbourhood development plans, particularly in terms of precedence.

·         The Committee requested the production of an executive summary for the public consultation and a flow chart covering the engagement process.

·         Concerns were raised that the report did not make reference to how the results of consultations would conscientiously be taken into account inline with the four general principles of consultations. Officers agreed to review how this could be reflected within the SCI.

·         The importance of establishing a clear definition of ‘social media’ within the SCI was emphasised. Officers agreed to liaise with the Communications team on a Council agreed definition for incorporation. 

RESOLVED

·         To note the draft revised Statement of Community Involvement set out in appendix A.

21 September.

·         Regulatory Committee – 21 September.

·         An affordable housing briefing session would be held for Planning Committee Members on 6 July at 6pm prior to the start of the Committee meeting at 7pm.

·         The Head of Development Management would be circulating dates to members of the 2014/15 Planning Committee for an informal meeting to discuss the ombudsman case regarding 10-12 Muswell Hill Place.