Agenda item

Reports to follow.

Members received a verbal update on the changes made to the Regulation 18 report following the Local Plan Sub Committee. Officers had begun to use a new scoring matrix with the following categories, Potentially Suitable, Some Concerns and Significant Concerns. It was noted that input from Hertfordshire Highways had not been received at present.

NCFS33: Oxhey Park Golf Centre had been put forward by the lease owner however the land was owned by Three Rivers District Council. Members had a strong view that the site is unavailable and so it should not form part of the consultation. Officers presented the option to put the site in a separate category on the report or add to the data centre with text explaining that the site was excluded from the consultation. Concerns were raised in regard to NCFS21: Land South of Scots Hill, the site was deemed Potentially Suitable however an electricity pylon was located in the northwest corner of the site as well as cables running through the site from north to south. It was agreed that this site should be listed as Some Concerns rather than Potentially Suitable.

The committee noted that following Full Council the survey was due to be published on the 14 of July however this would be dependent on any amendments proposed by Full Council. The consultation was due to last the statutory six weeks. Members were requested to raise questions before Full Council which would allow Officers to prepare responses.

Members raised concerns surrounding the number of dwellings under review and Officers clarified that the current consultation was not to decide whether to proceed or not with the sites but to collect evidence to assess suitability. If officers did not continue with the consultation, other sites and landowners could raise concerns that Three Rivers District Council had ruled them out prematurely. Officers could not rule out sites without valid planning reasons.

Use of a discounted list was debated by members and officers; it was noted that officers had and that other site specific studies such as heritage impact assessments would be undertaken on the newly submitted site and feedback sought from statutory consultees.

Councillor Cooper proposed an amendment to the report:

“That the following sites be discounted from consultation, and to be listed within the consultation solely as discounted:

NCFS1 – Chequers House, Chequers Lane

NCFS2 – Fortune Farm, High Elms Lane

NCFS3 – The Old Dairy, Chequers Lane

NCFS4 – High Elms Manor

NCFS6 – Land to the east of Watford Road

NCFS8 – Land off St Albans Lane, Bedmond

NCFS9 – Land to the north-west of Woodstock, Bedmond

NCFS10 – Great Westwood Park

NCFS11 – Grange Wood, Carpenders Park

NCFS12 – Lane East of Oxhey Lane, Carpenders Park

NCFS13 – Catlips Farm

NCFS14 – Homefield Road

NCFS17 – North Hill Farm

NCFS18 – Land to the east of Sarratt Lane

NCFS19 – Land adjacent to 60 Harthall lane

NCFS22 – Nine of Herts Golf Club and surrounding land

NCFS24 – The Island, Rickmansworth

NCFS27 – Green End Farm, Sarratt

NCFS28 – Ravenswood, Sarratt

NCFS29 – New Model Farm, Sarratt

NCFS30 – Sarratt Lodge, Sarratt Green

NCFS31 – Land to the south-east of Poles Hill

NCFS32 – Land to the south-west of Bragmans Lane

NCFS34 – Land south of Chalfont Lane (employment)

NCFS35 – Land north of Little Green Lane”

Councillor Hearn seconded the proposed amendment.

Members were reminded that the sites were not being put forward for development but for consultation on whether the sites were appropriate. Sites would be put forward for development during Regulation 19 following review of the consultation. It was discussed that Officers disregarding sites without justification would have opened the council to the risk of investigation.

The Committee debated the proposed amendment and the creation of a new category for discounted sites. Some members felt discounted was appropriate terminology. Other members raised concerns about discounting sites without having followed the consultation process and without information being received from the Green Belt Assessments and other assessments at the time.

Concerns were raised that the Council was following the new National Planning Policy Framework rather than the previous framework and some members felt that the sites listed would not have been appropriate under the previous framework.

The amendment was put to the vote and with 4 votes in favour and 9 against, was DEFEATED.

The substantive motion was put to the vote and with 9 votes in favour and 4 against, it was RESOLVED

That the Policy and Resources Committee:

·        Approves and recommends to Full Council the Regulation 18 Consultation document in Appendix 1.

·        Grants delegated authority to the Head of Planning Policy and Conservation in consultation with the Lead Member for the Local Plan to make any minor changes that are required prior to the documents being published for consultation.

Note: Councillor Ranger left the room at 21:28 and re-entered at 21:30.