An opportunity to question the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Sustainability, Cllr Kirsten Hearn, on developments within the part of her portfolio related to planning policy.
Minutes:
Cllr Kirsten Hearn, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Sustainability, provided an update to the Panel on the part of her portfolio relating to planning policy. She informed the Panel that the Council aimed to make changes to the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which generates funds from new developments to improve local communities. There was a need to democratise this as some areas receive more funds than others. While the residential CIL rate in the west of the Borough is £265 per square metre it is only £15 in the east of the Borough and it was now proposed that the rate in the east be increased to £50.
She said that Article 4 directions had been chosen to restrict employment space from being converted into sub-standard residential space in certain areas of the Borough.
The Highgate School Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) had been developed in partnership with the private Highgate School which owns substantial land and buildings near Highgate Village. The SPD was expected to be considered shortly by the Cabinet for approval to consult on a draft masterplan for the area.
In response to a question from Cllr Gordon asking for further detail on the new CIL rate in the east of the Borough, Emma Williamson, AD for Planning, said that the consultation finished in February and representations were being considered, although there hadn’t been very many. Further viability work was needed with BNP Paribas and then it would be taken forward for examination through a formal process involving the appointment of an inspector to look at the schedule. It was hoped that the new £50 per square metre residential CIL rate could be implemented in April of next year. Initially this was only going to apply to the Tottenham Hale area but the proposal was now for this to apply to the whole east of the Borough. It was also proposed that the CIL rate for student accommodation be raised from £15 per square metre to £85 per square metre. The rates must, by legal requirement, be based on financial viability and proposals are challenged through an independent examination.
Asked by Cllr Barnes why the CIL money had not been spent yet, while other Boroughs such as Brent had delivered several projects with their CIL funds, Rob Krzyszowski said that Brent has one of the highest development rates in London so therefore generates more CIL money. It has taken some time for the CIL money to build up in Haringey but he acknowledged that it was important to be able to start using these funds. Asked by Cllr Moyeed how the CIL money would be spent, Rob Krzyszowski said that there had been a consultation about this with residents in 2018 and so the responses to this would be taken into consideration but that the other ongoing consultation about the CIL rate would need to be concluded first. A further secondary consultation with residents on how to spend CIL funds was planned for later this year. Asked by Cllr Barnes how often CIL rates are reviewed, Rob Krzyszowski said that this would typically happen every five years but that CIL rates do also automatically rise according to inflation.
In response to a question from Cllr Gordon about policy on the proportion of affordable housing, Emma Williamson said that they would be looking at changes to the affordable housing planning policy through the Local Plan review.
Asked by Cllr Gordon about how the approach to climate change policy would be factored into planning policies, Cllr Hearn said that it would be included in the new Local Plan and that there were already good planning regulations on sustainability and climate change. Rob Krzyszowski added that the government had recently consulted on the Future Homes Standard (on national environmental standards for new homes) and that the Council had submitted an objection on the basis that London and Haringey already has higher carbon and environmental standards which it wants to maintain.
In response to a question from Cllr Hare about how the Council would response to the new report from the government, Creating Space for Beauty, Rob Krzyszowski said that the report was mainly about better design of buildings which is positive but that a lot depends on whether this is carried through with new legislation. Emma Williamson added that there were already good robust design policies in London compared with other parts of the country. The concern was that the government is simultaneously pushing for higher building targets at the same time as pushing local authorities to obtain planning applications for better designed buildings.
Asked by Cllr Gordon whether Haringey Council was now using its own child yield calculator for new developments, Emma Williamson said that the new GLA standard had been implemented. There had been a debate about whether Haringey could add its own bespoke standard, but this would potentially involve a substantial amount of work to achieve and it would now be considered through the Local Plan review.
Asked by Cllr Gordon whether Planning should be separated from the Housing, Regeneration and Planning department and instead report directly to the Chief Executive, Cllr Hearn said that she was agreed with this, that it is a big set of portfolios to manage and that it would be better served by being separated.