Agenda and minutes

The Panel received a report of the Director of Strategic Planning, which included a revised draft of the Development Brief for land at Honeypot Lane.  It was reported that, following the Panel’s consideration of an earlier draft of the Brief at its meeting on 2 December 2004, officers had further considered the position of the Environment Agency on flood risk, and had assessed a range of access and traffic issues.  The outcome of these findings were detailed in the revised Brief.  Minor changes had also been made in line with newly published planning policy and further representations made on behalf of the major landowner and adjoining businesses.

The Director of Strategic Planning explained that approval of the Brief, which took into account the views of relevant stakeholders, would improve service delivery by establishing a planning framework that would guide further use and development of the site.  The Brief would assist the Council in considering future proposals and help facilitate the implementation of a key Proposal Site in the Unitary Development Plan.

The Panel discussed the revised content of the Brief and made the following points:

• The Panel agreed that it was important to recognise the current use of existing businesses in Parr Road and welcomed the degree of protection for these businesses that was contained within the Brief.

• A Member felt that the number of additional units required made the density too high.

• A Member commented that they were uneasy about the use of a large employment site.

• A Member stated that she would like to see a 50/50 balance of social/intermediate housing, to provide greater opportunity for local employees to benefit from shared ownership.

• Members agreed that it would be helpful to visit an example of an established mixed-use site.

Resolved to RECOMMEND: (to Cabinet)

That (1) the Development Brief for Land at Honeypot Lane be approved; and

(2) the Development Control Committee be informed when the Brief has been approved.

[REASON: To establish a planning framework to guide the future use and development of the site].

(See also Minute 30).

The Panel received a report of the Director of Strategy (Urban Living), which included a draft of the Council’s response to the Government consultation on PPS10: Planning for Sustainable Waste Management.

The Panel discussed the draft response. Members made detailed comments on specific items and their requests for changes were recorded by officers.  The following general issues were noted:

• Officers advised that the waste management emphasis was on minimisation, recycling and processing rather than landfill.  The emphasis on sub-regional arrangements was important to enable the identification of facilities which could be grouped together and prevent proliferation of sites.

• Members expressed some concern at the requirement for “redundant farm buildings” to be identified as sites for new waste management capacity, particularly in relation to later re-use of sites that had been used for waste purposes.  Officers advised that, at planning permission stage, stringent reclamation and restoration conditions would be agreed for any waste tip sites.

• The format of the consultation had meant that officers had to constrain their responses to the questions asked.  Officers felt that this might not be the most effective method of consulting, and suggested that a different approach by the ODPM might be better in future.

• The Panel noted that no guidance or references to other documents had been provided to assist respondents in completing the consultation questionnaire.  The Panel suggested that the final PPS be a self-contained document and include short extracts of the main points from the documents it refers to, to avoid missing out important facts.

• Some Members felt that it would be helpful for each Member to have their own copy of the PPSs, rather than one copy being available in each Group Office.

Resolved to RECOMMEND: (to the Leader)

That the response to the Government Consultation on PPS10: Planning for Sustainable Waste Management, as now amended, be agreed.

[REASON: To enable the Council to set out its position with regard to the spatial planning of waste management].

(See also Minute 31).

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             after notifying the Chair at the start of the meeting.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Member:-

To receive declarations of interest (if any) from Members of the Committee arising from business to be transacted at this meeting.

RESOLVED: To note that there were no declarations of interests made by Members in relation to business transacted at this meeting.

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.

RESOLVED: That (1) all items be considered with the press and public present;

(2) in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the following item/information be admitted to the agenda by reason of the special circumstances and grounds for urgency stated:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 1 March 2005, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED: (1) That the Chair be given authority to sign the minutes of the Special meeting held on 1 March 2005, those minutes having been circulated, as a correct record of that meeting, once printed in the Council Bound Volume; and

(2) in response to a request from a Member, that the Chair would consult with the Chair of Cabinet to ascertain whether the full minutes of the Panel’s meetings could be submitted to Cabinet as a matter of course.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED: To note that there were no public questions to be received at this meeting under the provisions of the Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED: To note that there were no petitions to be received at this meeting under the provisions of the Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED: To note that there were no deputations to be received at this meeting under the provisions of the Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

Report of the Director of Strategic Planning.

Further to Recommendation 1 above it was

RESOLVED:  That officers be requested to investigate whether there were any mixed-use sites within the M25 areas that Panel Members could visit.

Report of the Director of Strategy (Urban Living).

Further to Recommendation 2 above, it was

RESOLVED:  That the Director of Strategy (Urban Living), the Director of Strategic Planning and the Chair of the Panel, when discussing how best to set up a resource library for Members, take into consideration Members’ request that they each receive a copy of key documents.