Issue - meetings

Members considered the revisions to the draft Local Plan that were being proposed for public consultation. They acknowledged that the Local Plan was a statutory document which had to be assessed by an independent inspector and should be evidence based. The proposals also should support the Council’s Corporate Plan priorities, meeting the priority to promote inward investment and job creation. Together with the Council’s newly adopted Economic Growth Strategy, it should set the framework for achieving the Council’s economic ambitions.

The Plan made provision for new housing to meet local needs and to support the growth of the workforce, and support the provision of key new infrastructure. The report presented to Cabinet set out key updates of the evidence base for the Local Plan process; and indicated key changes that were being proposed for consultation as revisions to the Preferred Option Local Plan. Those key changes (set out in Annex 1 to the report) were:

•  The identification of additional sites to meet the increased housing required by Government policy;

•  Sets out the Council’s current position on the future of the Manston Airport site when considered beside the evidence currently available;

•  Identification of key road schemes to be provided alongside development (more localised road schemes are being developed as the plan progresses);

•  To invite proposals for sites to be considered as Local Green Space within the Local Plan (it is important that parish and town councils put forward proposals that may be emerging in their neighbourhood plans);

•  Amended location for the proposed Thanet Parkway station following evidence from the Thanet Parkway Project Board;

•  Proposals for adopting new national technical standards in relation to water efficiency; internal space standards and accessible and adaptable accommodation.

Cabinet also considered the Overview & Scrutiny Panel recommendations which were:

1.  Include specific recommendations in the consultation that underline the inclusion of potential aviation use as part of a mixed use scenario;

2.  Should explicitly explain that evidence produced during the coming phases of consultation can still be considered between now and examination in public; and

3.  Further reviews be conducted to the rejected list to get extra space for housing development in order to minimise the use of green fields.

In response to the Panel recommendations Cabinet made the following comments:

1.  Draft Policy SP05 (relating to the Airport site) requires “Design and Heritage statements to include links to the sites heritage to support tourism in Thanet, including consideration of proposals that would permit a limited element of aviation use”, subject to number of flights being below the threshold that would require a statutory licence; (this does not preclude the application for a statutory licence);

2.  I can confirm that evidence produced during the coming phases of consultation can still be considered between now and the examination in public. There is also the opportunity for people to present evidence to the independent Inspector at the Examination in due course; and

3.  The sites have been assessed in relation to the brownfield  ...  view the full minutes text for item 391

Councillor D. Saunders, Chairman of the Overview & Scrutiny Panel invited Mr David Stevens to address the Panel. Mr Stevens made his submissions after which the Chairman called upon Councillor Wells, Leader of Council to present the main issues for debate. Councillor Wells introduced the report by initially advised the meeting on a number of amendments to the report. These changes have been attached as Annex 1 to this minute item.

Councillor Wells said that the Local Plan was a statutory document that had to be evidence based and would be assessed by an independent Planning Inspector against a set of government guidelines. The plan would support the key strategies of the Council’s corporate priorities in particular as it relates to housing, workforce, infrastructure development and inward investment.

The draft Plan was linked to the public consultation that was conducted on the ‘Preferred Options’ in January 2015. Key changes that were made as a result that consultation were as follows:

·  The identity of additional sites to meet the increased housing requirements;

·  The Council’s current evidence on the future of the Manston Airport site;

·  Identification of key road schemes to be provided alongside development;

·  To invite proposals for sites to be considered as local green space;

·  Amended location for the proposed Thanet Parkway Station;

·  Proposals for adopting new national technical standards for water efficiency, internal space, accessible and adaptable accommodation.

As part of finalising the plan, a sustainability appraisal & strategic, environmental assessment & habitat regulations assessment, draft infrastructure delivery plan and local green space would also be subject to the same public consultation. Councillor Wells said that the Thanet joint transportation strategy would be developed by Thanet District Council and Kent County Council and be subject to a separate report and a later public consultation.

Councillor Wells advised Members that the future of the airport was important. However that it should be noted that the alternative to foregoing the brown fields linked to the airport for housing development would lead to 180 acres of green fields being required for housing development in the district.

Although the draft Plan highlighted the development of 17,140 houses during the Plan period; the existing planning permissions, completed development, windfalls and empty homes accounted for some 7,840 homes, leaving a need for 9,300 homes in this draft Plan.

In concluding his presentation, the Leader then requested the Panel to agree the recommendations in the officer report which were as indicated below:

1.  That the Overview and Scrutiny Panel recommends to Cabinet that the proposed revisions to the draft Local Plan, and the accompanying Sustainability Appraisal/Strategic Environmental Assessment/Habitat Regulations assessment reports, be agreed for consultation purposes for a period of 6 weeks; and

2.  That Overview and Scrutiny Panel recommend to Cabinet that the appropriate amendments to the Local Development Scheme be agreed.

In response to the submissions by the Leader of Council, Members of the Panel made the following comments:

·  Expressed concern that the Panel was not given enough time to study the report which was significantly larger  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76