Local Development Scheme Board – 8th July 2016 – Notes of Meeting

Attendees:Carol Goodall (CG), Peter Gubbins (PG), Ric Pallister (RP), David Norris (DN), Angie Singleton (AS), Rina Singh (RS), Sue Steele (SS), Nick Weeks (NW), Paul Wheatley (PW), and Martin Woods (MW).

  1. Five-year Housing Land Supply
  • PW noted that the2016 report was agreed at District Executive on the 7th July.
  • Plenary discussion focused on:
  • the need to incentivise developers to bring forward sites in a timely manner;
  • the Council is penalised for developers not building out sites once they had planning permission;
  • it is the developer’s interest to ‘manage’ the delivery of homes to maximise sales values and that they will not build what they cannot sell;
  • some sites in South Somerset have not proceeded in the timeframe anticipated because of uncertainties, including: developer’s access to finance, market conditions, availability of labour & materials, re-negotiations of S.106 Agreements.
  • The Council is working with developers to understand what measures the Council can provide assistance on in order to speed-up delivery.
  • It was noted that the shortfall in delivery partly stemmed from the historic under-delivery since 2006 and that the impacts of the recession in the period 2008 – 2011 have left a large backlog that the Council is still required to overcome.
  • RP noted that the District Council Network is lobbying Government to change both the way in which the five-year housing land supply is calculated; and to ensure Government better understands that it is not solely a case of providing more and more planning permissions – and that delivery is in the hands of the development industry.
  1. Update on CIL
  • PW outlined that the CIL examination will take place on the 9th and 10th October.
  • Seven other representatives will be present for the examination, and will put their case forward as to why they disagree with the Council’s proposals.
  • The timetable for receiving the Examiner’s report setting out his findings is yet to be decided. But, it likely to be October 2016.
  • PW re-iterated that once the Examiner’s report is received, he will bring a paper to District Executive setting out the next steps for the process of adopting and implementing CIL. This will include a proposal for how to spend the CIL receipts.
  1. Update on evidence base documents
  • PW informed the group that the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) was delayed in its production due to the Government publicising new Sub-national Population Projections and Sub-national Household Projections. Both these new projections would be factored in to the draft report prepared by Justin Gardner Consulting.
  • Final report is now expected in September 2016.
  • The SHMA final report will provide new information as to South Somerset’s future objectively assessed need figure, which will influence the Local Plan housing requirement figures.
  • As part of the Early Review of the Local Plan the Council will explore whether it is realistic to deliver the new objectively assessed need figure. But it is not the case that this figure can be ignored.
  • PW updated the Board on the progress of the Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA). A workshop was held in June to validate the draft report. At the workshop a range of developers operating in South Somerset provided technical advice on the interim findings and these have been factored in to the report. Next step is to liaise with the Area Development teams and relevant Town/Parish Councils to also help validate the work. Final report is expected in September 2016.
  1. Discussion on progress towards Early Review of Local Plan
  • PW set out that the team are preparing the evidence base work, and monitoring the implementation of the adopted Local Plan, to provide a framework through which to shape the Early Review of the Local Plan.
  • The Early Review of the Local Plan is to be in place by March 2018, and should address the issue flagged up in the Local Plan Inspector’s report about “housing and employment provision in Wincanton”.
  • However, the Early Review of the Local Plan does not have to just focus on this issue, and if there are other policies which require updating, then these will also be addressed.
  • For example, given the changes set out by Government, the Council’s affordable housing policies will be changed, and this will feature as part of the Early Review of the Local Plan.
  • The full scope of the Early Review of the Local Plan is yet to be determined and will be dependent upon the findings from the evidence base documents, and the monitoring of the adopted local plan.
  • As the content of the Early Review of the Local Plan emerges this will be discussed at future Board meetings. The Board will also be able to feed in to the process by sharing their understanding of locally-held views on policies and issues.
  • Formal consultation on the Early Review of the Local Plan is required. This dictates the timescales for doing the work.
  • Consultation on the various stages of the Early Review of the Local Plan will take place in accordance with the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement (January 2016).
  1. Discussion on wider planning issues
  • Board members were asked if any additional matters wished to be raised.
  • NW asked that recent appeal decisions and their implications to be circulated. It was agreed that the latest appeals would be shared at Portfolio Holder Briefing Sessions (this action was discharged at PFH Briefing on 22nd July).
  • It was also suggested that the Scheme of Delegation be reiterated and shared. Again, it was agreed that this would happen through the Portfolio Holder Briefing Sessions (this action was also discharged at PFH Briefing on 22nd July).
  1. AOB
  • Next meeting in August to be cancelled as it coincides with the CIL examination.