Issue - meetings

Government is currently consulting on changes to national planning policy to incentivise the preparation of local plans as the means to deliver more homes to meet its national targets. Government is aware that local plans delayed by contentious issues such as housing targets and allocations within the Green Belt are delaying plan making and resulting in less homes being built.

The implications for the emerging Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Local Plan are significant. The proposals strengthen the Council’s position in demonstrating that the government’s standard methodology figure of 2,800 homes per year is not achievable. The proposed changes to national policy suggest that a lower housing target can be found sound at examination, where local constraints and circumstances are considered. This allows the Council to prepare a draft plan without having to release Green Belt for housing development or plan for densities out of character with the current built environment.

In accordance with the Local Development Scheme the intention remains to publish a draft local plan in Autumn 2023, test it through examination and adopt it in late 2024.

There is new emphasis too on place making and protecting the character of places. An up-to-date local plan will provide greater protections to residential areas at risk from speculative high density flatted development as the Council will not be required to demonstrate a five-year land supply.

The Leader of the Council presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The Leader and Officers advised the Committee that the report outlined the implications for the BCP Local Plan of the government consultation on changes to the national planning policy. The proposals strengthen the Council’s position in demonstrating that the government’s standard methodology figure of 2,800 homes per year is not achievable. The proposed changes to national policy suggest that a lower housing target could be found. The Committee was advised that this report had already been considered by Cabinet but welcomed any comments from the Committee and advised that the intention remined to publish a draft Local Plan in Autumn 2023. The Portfolio Holder and Officers responded to issues raised in the subsequent discussion, including:

·     There was new emphasis on place making and protecting the character of places. An up-to-date local plan would provide greater protections to residential areas at risk from speculative high density flatted development as the Council would not be required to demonstrate a five-year land supply. This was welcomed and it was commented that it was important to have the right kinds of housing in the right places.

·     The Committee asked about the impact of students in the town and providing accommodation for them. There were issues related to scale and also the number of holiday homes within town centres. Huge developments in town centre either sitting empty or as holiday lets. The Portfolio Holder commented that this was one of the issues with the methodology in that it assumed inward migration, but a significant proportion of students did not remain in the area.

·     The Portfolio Holder was pleased that the changes to methodology would allow for planning which could take into account the right kinds of homes to meet local need without over densification or opening up the greenbelt. There was a growing younger population still struggling to get on the housing ladder.

·     The Portfolio Holder advised that they felt that more people living in urban areas, with not having to drive as much was the right thing to be doing but that there may need to be a conversation in future regarding affordable family homes but it was confirmed that greenbelt would be protected as a priority.

·     It was noted that there were a number of brownfield sites within the borough and these needed to be developed as a priority to provide homes for local people.

The Chairman thanked the Officers and Portfolio Holder for the update.

Government is currently consulting on changes to national planning policy to incentivise the preparation of local plans as the means to deliver more homes to meet its national targets. Government is aware that local plans delayed by contentious issues such as housing targets and allocations within the Green Belt are delaying plan making and resulting in less homes being built.

The implications for the emerging Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Local Plan are significant. The proposals strengthen the Council’s position in demonstrating that the government’s standard methodology figure of 2,800 homes per year is not achievable. The proposed changes to national policy suggest that a lower housing target can be found sound at examination, where local constraints and circumstances are considered. This allows the Council to prepare a draft plan without having to release Green Belt for housing development or plan for densities out of character with the current built environment.

In accordance with the Local Development Scheme the intention remains to publish a draft local plan in Autumn 2023, test it through examination and adopt it in late 2024.

There is new emphasis too on place making and protecting the character of places. An up-to-date local plan will provide greater protections to residential areas at risk from speculative high density flatted development as the Council will not be required to demonstrate a five-year land supply.

RESOLVED that Cabinet supports the consultation response set out in Appendix 1 to this report and delegates authority to the Director of Planning to submit it to government subject to minor changes.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Development, Growth and Regeneration

Reason

It is important the Council responds to the consultation. The constitution through the Scheme of Delegation to Officers delegates to each Chief Officer authority "To determine whether and how to respond on behalf of the Council to any local, county, sub-regional, regional or national consultation on matters affecting the Council subject to prior consultation with an Executive Member where it relates to an Executive function”.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Development, Growth and Regeneration requested this consultation response be a matter for Cabinet approval.

The Portfolio Holder for Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'F' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that the Government is currently consulting on changes to national planning policy to incentivise the preparation of local plans as the means to deliver more homes to meet its national targets. Government is aware that local plans delayed by contentious issues such as housing targets and allocations within the Green Belt are delaying plan making and resulting in less homes being built.

In relation to this Cabinet was advised that the implications for the emerging Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Local Plan are significant, and that the proposals strengthen the Council’s position in demonstrating that the government’s standard methodology figure of 2,800 homes per year is not achievable, and that the proposed changes to national policy suggest that a lower housing target can be found sound at examination, where local constraints and circumstances are considered which would allow the Council to prepare a draft plan without having to release Green Belt for housing development or plan for densities out of character with the current built environment.

Cabinet was informed that in accordance with the Local Development Scheme the intention remains to publish a draft local plan in Autumn 2023, test it through examination and adopt it in late 2024.

In addition Cabinet was advised that there is new emphasis too on place making and protecting the character of places, and that an up-to-date local plan will provide greater protections to residential areas at risk from speculative high density flatted development as the Council will not be required to demonstrate a five-year land supply.

RESOLVED that Cabinet supports the consultation response set out in Appendix 1 to this report and delegates authority to the Director of Planning to submit it to government subject to minor changes.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Development, Growth and Regeneration