Agenda

To receive any apologies for absence.

To confirm, as a correct record, the minutes of the Local Plan Sub-Committee meeting held on 8 October 2025.

Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 30 to be announced, together with the special circumstances that justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chairman to rule on the admission of such items.

To receive any declarations of interest.

This report seeks Member agreement of the amendments to the draft Local Plan policies consulted on during the Part 5 Regulation 18 consultation which took place in July and August this year. Additionally, this report seeks Member agreement for amendments to other policies consulted on during the Draft Local Plan Regulation 18 Part 1: Preferred Policy Options document. The amendments to the policies are detailed in red in the appendices to this report. The policies were amended in response to changes to national planning policy, evidence studies, comments received as part of the Regulation 18 consultation and consideration at Local Plan Sub-Committee meetings from 2022-2025.

Recommendation:

That the Local Plan Sub-Committee note the contents of this report, agree the amendments to policies detailed in red in the appendices to this report and then recommend the following updated policies to the Policy & Resources Committee:

Appendix 1 – Biodiversity

Appendix 2 – Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation

Appendix 3 – Northwood Headquarters

Appendix 4 – Net Zero Operational Carbon in New Build Residential Development

Appendix 5 – Net Zero Operational Carbon in New Build Non-Residential Development

Appendix 6 – Climate-adapted Design and Construction

Appendix 7 – Embodied Carbon and Minimising Waste

Appendix 8 – Reducing Carbon Emissions in Existing Buildings

Appendix 9 – Affordable Housing

Appendix 10 – Housing Mix and Type

Appendix 11 – Green Belt

Appendix 12 – Parking

Appendix 13 – Parking Standards

This report provides an overview of how the council can meet its identified need for gypsies, travellers and travelling showpeople. The report will provide policy context, review approaches of some neighbouring local authorities, discuss the findings of the Council’s GTAA and explain some of the potential approaches that can be taken to meet the accommodation needs of gypsies, travellers and travelling showpeople.

Recommendation:

That the Local Plan Sub-Committee:

(i)        notes the contents of this report; and

(ii)       agrees with officers’ recommendation that the Council focusses on intensifying and expanding sites/yards where possible and allocates parts of strategic general needs housing sites to meet the remaining need.

This report provides a summary of the Regulation 18 consultation on the Council’s Newly Submitted Sites and New Policies (Part 5).

Recommendation:

That the Local Plan Sub-Committee notes the contents of the report.

If the Sub-Committee wishes to consider the remaining items in private, it will be appropriate for a resolution to be passed in the following terms:-

“that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under Paragraphs 1 to 7 of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

This report and appendices set out the officer recommended sites to be included in the Regulation 19 Publication of the Local Plan.

Recommendation:

That the Local Plan Sub Committee:

(i)      notes the contents of this report;

(ii)     notes the contents of the presentation;

(iii)    considers the sites as set out in the presentation against the criteria set out in this report and presentation;

(iv)   recommends to Policy & Resources Committee the sites to be included in the Local Plan Regulation 19 Publication document;

(v)     agrees that public access to the report be denied until after Policy and Resources Committee (26 January 2025);

(vi)   agrees that public access to the decision be denied until after Policy and Resources Committee (26 January 2025).