Issue - meetings

This report seeks member agreement of the updates to the draft Local Plan policies from the Draft Local Plan Regulation 18 Part 1: Preferred Policy Options document in response to changes to national planning policy, comments received to the Regulation 18 consultation and consideration at Local Plan Sub-Committee meetings in 2022 and 2023.

Recommendation:

That the Local Plan Sub-Committee note the contents of this report, and recommend to the Policy & Resources Committee the following policy updates:

·        Chilterns Beechwoods SAC Policy (Appendix 1)

·        Northwood Headquarters MOD Policy (Appendix 2)

·        Residential Design and Layout Policy (Appendix 3)

·        Local Distinctiveness and Place Shaping Policy (Appendix 4)

·        Heritage and Historic Environment Policy (Appendix 5)

·        Social and Community Uses Policy (Appendix 6)

·        Flood Risk and Water Resources Policy (Appendix 7)

·        Ground Conditions, Contamination and Pollution Policy (Appendix 8)

·        Waste Management and Recycling Policy (Appendix 9)

·        Landscape Character Policy (Appendix 10)

·        Advertisements Policy (Appendix 11)

·        Deliveries, Servicing and Construction Policy (Appendix 12)

Marko Kalik, Head of Planning Policy and Conservation, presented the report and explained that the report was seeking Member agreement to the updates of Local Plan policies to be included in the Draft Regulation 19 Plan going to the Policy and Resources Committee.

Mr. Jon Bishop, Three Rivers Joint Residents Association, was invited to speak on the item. Mr. Bishop thanked officers for the quality of the report and spoke of the confidence the Association had in that the Regulation 19 consultation would be able to begin in September/October this year, as recently agreed by the Council. In regard to Appendix 1, the Association felt that it was vital that this small area was protected in the Three Rivers Local Plan (TRLP) and the policy wording should be tightened to make it explicit that planning permission would not be granted in the absence of a legally binding agreement for the required Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG). For Appendix 3, it was felt that it would be better phrased in the negative rather than the positive. For Appendix 5, under policy point 16, there were concerns where the word “public” was inserted. The views from all of the conservation area are inherently part of the conservation area. It was suggested that the wording was changed to “permission will not be granted for development outside but near to a conservation area, if it adversely affects the setting, character, appearance or views out of that conservation area and public views into that conservation area”.

Appendix 1 – Chiltern Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

The Head of Planning Policy & Conservation explained that this was a new policy resulting from Dacorum Borough Council’s Habitat’s Regulations Assessment (HRA) work. There were concerns about the accumulative impact of residential development on the Chiltern Beechwoods SAC and the work identified a Zone of Influence that included part of Three Rivers. The policy was put together in consultation with Natural England. The main policy was that developments that fall into the Zone of Influence, with 100 dwellings or more, would be required to produce an HRA and provide suitable SANG. 

After Members questions, the Head of Policy Planning and Conservation confirmed that planning permission would not be given unless a S106 agreement was in place.

There was very specific criteria for a new SANG including a 2.5km circular walk, adequate parking for visitors and the area of land having to be of a certain size.

AGREED: that officers would check if the neighbouring authority’s policy had reference to “a legally binding agreement”, and if so, to mirror it in the TRDC policy.

Appendix 2 – Northwood headquarters Ministry of Defence (MOD) Policy

The Head of Planning Policy and Conservation informed Members that it was a new policy following the original Regulation 18 Draft Plan based on the comments received from the MOD. There was one amendment to be added to the end of the third and last paragraph “unless the effect can be suitably mitigated against”.

The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33