Agenda item

To consider a report by the Director of Planning and Regeneration detailing the Council’s Draft Local Plan before consideration by the Executive.

The Panel received a report on the Publication (Regulation 19) Local Plan from the Head of Planning Strategy and Economic Development.

At the invitation of the Chairman, the Panel received a representation from Councillor R H Price, JP during this item.

Members were asked to email any grammatical errors in the documents to officers to collate so that the discussion at tonight’s meeting could focus on the substantive part of the documents.

Members were taken through the covering report including Annex 1, the Executive report to be scrutinised by the Panel. Members inquired about the consultation and raised concerns regarding the challenge of Officers not being able to hold CAT meetings throughout the Borough to inform residents. Officers explained that sophisticated virtual software had been purchased to allow officers to communicate with public through the consultation process via a web-based platform. Many residents do not have access to any internet-based technology and although the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about an increase in online activity there are still residents who would not be able to access the website. As with previous consultations a dedicated Fareham Today will be delivered to every household to allow everyone to understand that the Local Plan consultation has begun and how they can have their say.

The Head of Planning Strategy and Economic Development then directed Members to the numerous technical Appendices within the Local Plan document and asked for comments and questions where appropriate.

Members requested, during discussions on Appendix C - Sustainability Appraisal, that the Executive is asked to consider: -

       i.        the inclusion of specific text to strengthen policies to provide a clear expectation to developers/planning applicants that developments, whether residential or commercial, should provide the opportunity to upskill and train people.

The Head of Planning Strategy and Economic Development then invited questions, comments or amendments from Members on each chapter of Appendix A - Draft text of the Publication (Regulation 19) Local Plan in turn.

When discussing Chapter 4, a proposal was raised to move forward to the next chapter of Appendix A over concerns that discussions regarding specific development sites could result in Members being predetermined at future Planning Committee meetings.

Upon being seconded the proposal was voted on and declared LOST.

Members discussed each chapter at length and agreed to ask the Executive to consider: -

      ii.        that on  Appendix A – page 53-54, paragraph 4.20, the list of Housing Allocation Policies to include ** denoting sites that are new and as yet to be decided by the Planning Committee to make it easier for residents to see this from the list of sites rather than going through each site in turn;

     iii.        that references to the Daedalus Airfield to be changed to Solent Airport to allow consistency across Council documents;

    iv.        whether it would be appropriate to add reference to a specific geographic zone around Solent Airport, within which housing proposals should be required to have a Noise Assessment to understand the potential impacts on future residents from the flight path;

      v.        reference to Policy TIN1 in Policy E5 should refer to all forms of transport, not just car parking;

    vi.        to include a policy statement, where appropriate, about the airport itself, including a statement along the lines of ‘unless it can be demonstrated that such uses are no longer financially viable’ (such as in Policy E6)

   vii.        that a survey of hedgerows on potential development sites to be carried out in order to strengthen their protection in line with Policy NE6;

  viii.        that the ramifications of excepting Policy TIN2a as it is.

RESOLVED that Members of the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel considered the contents of the report and ask the Executive to consider: -

      i.        within Appendix C - Sustainability Appraisal, the inclusion of specific text to strengthen policies to provide a clear expectation to developers/planning applicants that developments, whether residential or commercial, should provide the opportunity to upskill and train people.

    ii.        that on  Appendix A – page 53-54, paragraph 4.20, the list of Housing Allocation Policies to include ** denoting sites that are new and as yet to be decided by the Planning Committee to make it easier for residents to see this from the list of sites rather than going through each site in turn;

   iii.        that references to the Daedalus Airfield to be changed to Solent Airport to allow consistency across Council documents;

   iv.        whether it would be appropriate to add reference to a specific geographic zone around Solent Airport, within which housing proposals should be required to have a Noise Assessment to understand the potential impacts on future residents from the flight path;

    v.        reference to Policy TIN1 in Policy E5 should refer to all forms of transport, not just car parking;

   vi.        to include a policy statement, where appropriate, about the airport itself, including a statement along the lines of ‘unless it can be demonstrated that such uses are no longer financially viable’ (such as in Policy E6)

  vii.        that a survey of hedgerows on potential development sites to be carried out in order to strengthen their protection in line with Policy NE6; and

 viii.        the ramifications of excepting Policy TIN2a as it is.