Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Phil Williams, Matthew Bedford and Chris Lloyd with the substitutes being Councillors Paul Rainbow, David Major and Sara Bedford.  An apology for absence was also received from Councillor Stephen Cox.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Local Plan sub-committee meetings held on 13 June 2023 and 10 July 2023.

The Minutes of the Local Plan sub-committee meetings held on 13 June 2023 and 10 July 2023 were confirmed as a correct record and were signed by the Chair.

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 Chair to rule on the admission of such items.

None.

To receive any declaration of interests.

None received.

The Chair advised that the sub-committee would be considering the urban brownfield sites and low to moderate Green Belt harm sites but not the strategic sites.

The Head of Planning Policy and Conservation reported that the recommendations were to progress all the urban brownfield sites and low to moderate harm Green Belt sites, to agree the sites and to recommend to the Policy and Resources Committee for inclusion in the next round of Regulation 18 consultation.  The approach taken was agreed at the Local Plan sub-committee meetings.  We are trying to guide development away from the areas of most harm to the Green Belt and focus on low to moderate harm sites in the Green Belt.  The meeting on 24 August would review the larger strategic sites which fall into higher areas of harm and whether the benefits of those sites on sustainability and infrastructure outweigh the higher harm to the Green Belt.

There were a number of sites that fell into lower harm which were larger sites, one being the site off Shepherds Lane, Mill End and the other the lower part of the site in Maple Cross which would come to the sub-committee with the strategic sites.  Members were advised of the risks associated with the approach being taken and having a number significantly lower than the Government standard method target.  There is a risk that when we go to examination with the Inspector, they may not find this acceptable and could ask us to find more Green Belt sites.  An example was provided where following government consultation and at the examination stage a LA was asked to remove their Green Belt sites and the Inspector advised that the consultation is just that and they were judging them against the same criteria as before and needed to include Green Belt sites.  In identifying the risks there was a chance that the Government could change policy, but we are not sure when that might be.

All the sites were agreed for the previous Regulation 18 consultation and were found to be suitable.  The sub-committee should look at anything which had come up recently which provided an obstacle which cannot be resolved. 

There was an error with regard to site H9 – 33 Baldwins Lane – included in the urban brownfield sites.  It was meant to say 0.09 hectares for the site size, but it said 0.9 hectares, so the housing number was too large for the actual size of the site and the number of dwellings had been reduced from around 50 dwellings to 10.  This meant the brownfield site figure had reduced to under 1,000.  No new brownfield sites had been promoted by any of the owners.

On the Red Cross site in Croxley Green there had been a section of text removed.  Officers advised they would be looking at the community facility to be part of the building to be developed.  Some of  ...  view the full minutes text for item LPSC17/23