Agenda item

Local Plan for Sefton - Preferred Option Document

Report of the Director of Built Environment

Minutes:

The Cabinet heard representations from Mrs B. Porter on behalf of a deputation who had submitted a petition containing the signatures of 26 residents of the Borough, which related to the proposed Local Plan for Sefton and stated:

 

“We the undersigned support the proposal by the Ainsdale Community Wildlife Trust (A.C.W.T.) to re-establish and extend the sand dune conservation area into the green belt presently occupied by the former Ainsdale Hope High School playing field, to protect it for the future and to enable use by the Ainsdale community at large.”

 

Further to Minute No. 16 of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 12 June 2013, the Cabinet then considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which presented the Preferred Option Document, a key stage in the preparation of Sefton’s Local Plan. The Document set out the issues and challenges facing Sefton, which included:

 

·         a vision for Sefton’s planning ahead to 2030;

·         a strategy for how Sefton’s housing, business and other  development needs can be met;

·         a ‘preferred’ option indicating where those needs might be met including detailed site allocations;

·         details of other options which have been considered and discounted;

·         development management policies to help guide development and provide a policy framework for making decisions on planning applications; and

·         details of the 12 week consultation arrangements.

 

This was a corporate strategy document which was being developed within the statutory planning framework. The Preferred Option Document was a key stage in the process of adopting a Local Plan, which would in due course replace the Unitary Development Plan.

 

The Director of Built Environment circulated an addendum note to the report which set out two minor updates to the Preferred Option document.

 

Members of the Cabinet raised questions on the following issues referred to in the report and officers responded to the Issues as indicated below:

 

Councillor Fairclough enquired whether all of the available brown field sites were been made available for housing development.

 

Response:

The Director of Built Environment confirmed that a comprehensive exercise, including a strategic housing land availability assessment and two ‘calls for sites’ had ensured that all of the available brown field sites were included in the land supply as set out in the Preferred Option Document.

 

Councillor Cummins sought clarification on the amount of greenbelt land which would be utilised under the Preferred Option Document for development purposes.

 

Response:

The Director of Built Environment indicated that based on the supply of 510 units per year until 2030, 3.2% of the available greenbelt land in the Borough would be used for development purposes under Option 2 in the Preferred Option Document. The requirement for 510 net additional units per year would be reviewed during 2014 when new population and household information data is due to be released.

 

Councillor Moncur enquired about the life span of the Local Plan.

 

Response:

The Director of Built Environment indicated that the Local Plan would operate for 15 years from the adoption of the Plan but that the housing requirement took account of need from the revocation of the North West Regional Spatial Strategy in 2013 and the backlog of housing supply for the current plan period.

 

Councillor Hardy enquired how long the New Homes Bonus Scheme would continue.

 

Response:

The Director of Built Environment indicated that the scheme could end at any time but reiterated that the predominating factor in the Local Plan would be to meet housing need within the Borough and not maximise New Homes Bonus. He added that significant New Homes Bonus had also been secured by bringing vacant homes back into use rather than new development.

 

Councillor P. Dowd commented that there was a view that the Council was selling off its available land for a large capital receipt and enquired if this was the case.

 

Response:

The Director of Built Environment indicated that there was little land within the proposed land supply under option 2 which was in the Council’s ownership.

 

Councillor Tweed  enquired how the Council would enforce any proposals for affordable housing to be provided to meet the growing housing need within the Borough.

                                            

Response:

The Director of Built Environment indicated that policies were contained in the Preferred Option Document and in local agreed policies for the provision of 30% affordable housing on developments which had 15 or more units. The majority of ’Affordable’ Housing  would be in the form of social rented accommodation or let at the Governments ‘affordable’ rented level of 80% of market rents. Shared ownership would account for the remainder, allowing people on to the housing ladder with a share of a property, ‘ramping’ up to 100% as disposable income increases.

Councillor Maher commented that while the focus of public concern was around green belt issues, there were other very positive policies in the Preferred Option Document including those relating to ‘fast food’ outlet  exclusion zones around local schools to protect young people. He asked officers to ensure that those wider issues were communicated.

                                            

Councillor P. Dowd enquired about the arrangements for consultation on the Preferred Option Document

 

Response:

The Director of Built Environment indicated that the Council would be holding a 12 week consultation period commencing on 8 July 2013 and the responses to the Preferred Option Document would be reported to the Planning Committee and Cabinet in due course for consideration. The Consultation arrangements had been approved by the Public Consultatation and Engagement Panel and included a media campaign, mail drops to community groups in liaison with colleagues in the youth, health and housing services and various consultation events throughout the Borough

 

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

 

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       the petition be noted and taken into account during the consideration of responses to the consultation on the Preferred Option Document;

(2)       the Council be recommended to:

(i)         approve for consultation, the further evidence which supports the Preferred Option Document, as outlined in Section 18 of the report;

(ii)        approve the approach to consultation on the Preferred Option Document, as outlined in Section 20 of the report;

(iii)       approve the Preferred Option Document for consultation, including a correction to the land proposed for development, south east of Hightown, as set out in Section 19 and the plan attached to the report; and the amendments set out in the addendum note to the report; and

(iv)       grant delegated powers to the Head of Planning Services to make minor editorial changes to the Document before it is published, as referred to in section 20.7 of the report.

Reasons for Decision:

 

To enable the Preferred Option Document and supporting evidence to be available for public consultation.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

 

The report set out three options which included different levels of development and growth and it recommended a Preferred Option.

 

The Council was required to prepare and adopt a Local Plan. It would be necessary to have the Local Plan formally examined by a planning inspector. The Local Plan must meet statutory planning requirements and would be assessed for ‘soundness’. The Preferred Option presented in the report is considered to be the most appropriate option for Sefton when considering these various requirements.

 

Supporting documents: