Agenda item

That Members of the Policy & Resources Committee:

·         Approve and recommend to Full Council the Local Plan Regulation 19 Part 1: Policies document as set out in Appendix 1 for public consultation in accordance with the regulations and the Local Development Scheme

·         Grant delegated authority to the Head of Planning Policy & Conservation and the Director of Finance in consultation with the Lead Member for the Local Plan to make any subsequent changes that are required before the documents are published for consultation

·         Grant delegated authority to the Head of Planning Policy & Conservation and the Director of Finance in consultation with the Lead Member for the Local Plan to propose minor modifications to the Local Plan and submit the plan to the Planning Inspectorate for examination in public.

·         Agree significant proposed modifications to the Local Plan be agreed by Urgent Decision under the council’s constitution prior to submission to the Planning Inspectorate for examination in public.

The Committee considered the Regulation 19 Part 2 Site Allocations document for the Local Plan, which sets out the proposed allocation of sites for development and protection prior to submission for examination.

Jon Bishop of Three Rivers Joint Residents Association addressed the committee and thanked Officers and Members for the extensive work undertaken on the local plan, nothing that the proposed policies represented a significant improvement on the current plan and reflected resident engagement, even where not all points had been accepted. He acknowledged the proposed level of housing growth as a pragmatic balance between meeting housing need and protecting the green belt.

Mr Bishop drew attention to a numerical inconsistency within Policy SP1, which he believed to be a typographical error, and raised concerns about the use of the term “overdevelopment” in relation to areas of fundamental importance, suggesting that clearer and more prescriptive wording would provide greater certainty. He also highlighted a technical issue relating to the 45 degree splay line in the appendices.

Mr Bishop further explained that the Association had submitted written suggestions seeking stronger policy wording, particularly where “should” was used instead of “must”, and emphasised the importance of clear, enforceable policies in light of potential changes to the planning system. He concluded by encouraging the Committee to progress the Local Plan to Regulation 19 without delay.

Officers introduced the report and explained that this represented the final stage of plan preparation before submission to the Planning Inspectorate, with the forthcoming Regulation 19 consultation focused on matters of legal compliance and soundness. Officers advised that the Site Allocations document had been developed alongside the Part 1 Policies document and reflected the outcomes of extensive evidence gathering, sustainability appraisal and engagement through the Local Plan Sub-Committee process. It was emphasised that the allocations sought to balance identified development needs with environmental constraints, including Green Belt considerations.

Members discussed the report and acknowledged the significant amount of work undertaken by officers and the Local Plan Sub-Committee. Some Members reiterated concerns raised previously about individual sites, particularly in relation to deliverability, infrastructure capacity and consistency with the Council’s wider spatial strategy. Other Members noted that while individual site concerns remained, the Regulation 19 stage was necessarily narrow in scope and that unresolved objections would be tested through the independent examination process.

Members also discussed the importance of ensuring that the Site Allocations document was robustly evidenced, internally consistent with the Part 1 Policies, and capable of being defended at examination. Officers confirmed that minor factual or typographical corrections could be made prior to publication under delegated authority, but that the Council must be satisfied that the document was sound in principle before proceeding to consultation.

The Committee recognised that delaying progression at this stage would risk undermining the overall Local Plan timetable and agreed that the appropriate mechanism for resolving outstanding objections would be through representations to the Planning Inspector.

An amendment was raised by Councillor Edwards and seconded by Councillor Reed.

“Provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

5.59 Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople have particular accommodation needs that require additional consideration. To ensure that members of these communities are able to access decent and appropriate housing with access to services including health and education, the council must make provision for accommodation to meet identified needs.

5.60 Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (PPTS) sets out the Government’s planning policy for traveller sites and should be read in conjunction with the National Planning Policy Framework.

HOU4 - Provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

1) The council’s Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (July 2025) sets out that there is a need for 37 pitches for Gypsies and Travellers who meet the definition set out in the PPTS and a need for 6 plots for Travelling Showpeople who meet the planning definition set out in the PPTS.

2) When considering planning applications for sites for Gypsies and Travellers or Travelling Showpeople, a criteria based approach will be used. The following criteria will be taken into account:

a) Avoid areas at risk from all sources of flooding, or affected by environmental hazards that may affect residents’ health or welfare;

b) Avoid causing an adverse impact on areas of recognised wildlife, heritage or landscape importance, and on the openness of the Green Belt with improvements sought;c) Have reasonable access to local services and facilities, including shops, schools and healthcare; d) Be well located to the highway network, with safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian access to the site;

e) Sites should be suitably designed and the layout include sufficient space to accommodate the proposed number of caravans, provision of day rooms, space for tourer caravans, landscaping, SuDs mitigation, Biodiversity Net Gain, vehicles and ancillary areas as appropriate. Adequate on-site facilities for parking, storage, waste collection, play and residential amenity should be provided;

f) The site must be capable of being adequately serviced by drinking water, utilities and sewerage disposal facilities;

g) The size and scale of the site, alone or in combination with other nearby traveller sites, respects the size and density of the local settled community and does not dominate the nearest settled community; sites must not be adjacent to existing residential homes;

h) Provide adequate levels of privacy and residential amenities for occupiers and not have an adverse impact on the amenities of any nearby occupiers; including being

able to achieve a reasonable level of visual and acoustic privacy for both people living on the site and those living nearby;

i) The site must be capable of being adequately serviced by drinking water, utilities and sewerage disposal facilities; and

j) The circumstances of the applicant and their need for pitches on the application site;

3) Existing Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites will be safeguarded unless there is no longer a need for their retention, or they are no longer viable.

Reasoned Justification:

5.61 The NPPF sets out that within the context of establishing need (housing), the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community should be assessed and reflected in planning policies and specifically refers to travellers as one of these groups.

5.62 The PPTS states that the Government’s overarching aim is to ensure fair and equal treatment for travellers, in a way that facilitates the traditional and nomadic way of life of travellers while respecting the interests of the settled community.

5.63 The council seeks to reduce tensions between settled and traveller communities and promote peaceful and integrated co-existence between the site and the local community. Central to this policy is ensuring that sites are not located next to residential housing and that those sites close to residential housing do not erode the amenity of the existing settlement.

5.64 The council will seek to meet identified needs on suitable sites in sustainable locations and to maintain a five-year supply of deliverable pitches/plots taking into account the findings of the council’s Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (July 2025) and any subsequent updates. All the identified Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites/yards within the district will be ‘safeguarded’ to ensure that the permitted use as a traveller site is not lost through the grant of any subsequent planning permission whilst there remains a need for sites.

5.65 The table below sets out the identified need for gypsy and traveller pitches within the district by year periods. There is a need of 37 pitches arising from those households who meet the planning definition and a need of 4 pitches arising from households with undetermined need.

5.66 The table below sets out the identified need for travelling showpeople plots within the district by year periods. There is a need of 6 plots arising from those households who meet the planning definition and a need of 10 plots arising from households with undetermined need.

Year Period Dates PPTS Need Undetermined Need Year Period Dates PPTS Need Undetermined Need Year Period Dates PPTS Need Undetermined Need Year Period Dates PPTS Need Undetermined Need

0 - 5 2025 - 29 6 5

6 - 10 2030 - 34 0 2

11 - 15 2035 - 39 0 2

16 - 20 2040 - 41 0 1

0 - 20 2025 - 41 6 10

5.67 The GTAA has not identified the requirement for transit sites within the district, as such we have not planned for such a facility at the current time, although will keep this approach under review as suggested by the GTAA.

5.68 There are a range of different methods to meet identified need, and often a combination of methods is often most effective. The approaches can be categorised as a criteria-based policy approach, extension of existing sites/yards, allocating entirely new gypsy and traveller sites/travelling showpeople yards, or allocating parts of strategic general needs housing sites. A combination of approaches will be utilised in order to meet the need identified within the GTAA.”

Officers advised that Gypsy and Traveller provision was subject to a distinct national policy and legal framework and that the Local Plan approach had been developed in accordance with that framework supported by specific evidence relating to need and deliverability. It was explained that the wording within the Regulation 19 documents reflected the outcomes of earlier stages of consultation, sustainability appraisal and consideration by the Local Plan Sub Committee, and that any changes at this stage would need to be justified by clear evidence to avoid undermining the soundness of the Plan at examination.

Members discussed the amendment, with some expressing concern about ensuring fairness and clarity in how Gypsy and Traveller needs were addressed within the Local Plan, while others emphasised the importance of maintaining a consistent, evidence-led approach that complied with national policy and minimised risk at examination.

The amendment was put to the vote and declared LOST by the Chair, the voting being For 4, Against 6, Abstentions 3.

The substantive motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED by the Chair, the voting being For 9, Against 4.

RESOLVED:

That:

·       Approve and recommend to Full Council the Local Plan Regulation 19 Part 1: Policies document as set out in Appendix 1 for public consultation in accordance with the regulations and the Local Development Scheme

·       Grant delegated authority to the Head of Planning Policy & Conservation and the Director of Finance in consultation with the Lead Member for the Local Plan to make any subsequent changes that are required before the documents are published for consultation

·       Grant delegated authority to the Head of Planning Policy & Conservation and the Director of Finance in consultation with the Lead Member for the Local Plan to propose minor modifications to the Local Plan and submit the plan to the Planning Inspectorate for examination in public.

·       Agree significant proposed modifications to the Local Plan be agreed by Urgent Decision under the council’s constitution prior to submission to the Planning Inspectorate for examination in public.