Agenda and minutes

To record apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of councillors Finch, Kainth, McCarthy, Murray and Sharp.

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

None.

To receive notification of any matters which the chairman determines should be considered as urgent business relating to matters on the agenda and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chairman. 

The chairman provided housekeeping information.

He advised Council that he had agreed that as part of the Local Plan part 2 item, Councillor Barber, Leader of the council, would make a statement to Council on the government consultation on planning for the right homes in the right places which was relevant to that agenda item and provided background to Cabinet’s recommendations. He would allow Councillor Hallett, as Leader of the opposition, the right to respond.

Members of the public who wish to address Council on the agenda items for this meeting must register to do so in writing or by email to democratic.services@southandvale.gov.uk no later than 5.00pm on Tuesday 26 September 2017. 

No members of the public had registered to address Council.

Cabinet, at its meeting on 22 September 2017, will consider the report of the head of planning on the Local Plan to 2031.

The report of the head of planning, which Cabinet will consider, is attached. 

The Scrutiny Committee will discuss the Local Plan at its meeting on 20 September 2017. Any views or recommendations will be reported to Cabinet.

All district councillors have been sent a copy of the Local Plan document separately.  PLEASE BRING THIS WITH YOU TO THE MEETING. 

The Local Plan document can also be found on the council’s website: http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/services-and-advice/planning-and-building/planning-policy/local-plan-2031-part-2

Cabinet’s recommendations will be circulated to councillors on Friday 22 September.

Council considered Cabinet’s recommendations, made at its meeting on 22 September 2017, on the publication version of Local Plan 2031 Part 2. An addendum was circulated prior to the meeting, and is available as an addendum to the Council agenda, setting out a number of amendments to the proposed Publication Version of the Local Plan 2031 Part 2. 

A copy of the Leader of the council’s statement on the Department for Communities and Local Government consultation document “Planning for the right homes in the right places” was before all councillors at the meeting and is available as an addendum to the Council agenda. The Chairman advised that in view of the importance of the matter and the unusual circumstances surrounding the statement, both Councillor Barber, as Leader of the council, and Councillor Hallett, as Leader of the Opposition, would have the opportunity to address council on the statement in addition to the usual speaking rules.

Councillor Cox, Cabinet member for planning, reported that the Part 1 Plan was adopted by Council in December 2016 and identified site allocations and policies to meet the objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements for the Vale of White Horse. The Part 1 Plan includes a policy commitment that confirms how the council will address Oxford’s unmet housing need through the preparation of the Local Plan 2031 Part 2.  In accordance with Regulation 18, public consultation on the preferred options version of the Part 2 Plan, was undertaken in the spring 2017. The council had assessed the responses and carried out all technical studies to produce the latest version of the local plan which would, assuming Council’s approval, be subject to the Regulation 19 consultation to test its soundness, before the plan was submitted to the Secretary of State by February 2018.   

Councillors discussed the recent government proposals for consultation that recalculated the housing requirement using a nationwide formula.  This suggested similar housing numbers required for the Vale but presented the opportunity to reduce Oxford’s unmet housing need. 

Councillor Hallett moved and Councillor Smith seconded an amendment to refer the issue back to Cabinet as follows:

“Council is committed to making sound and justified policy decisions for the people who live and work in the Vale, and part of that commitment is to create the best Local Plan 2031 that we can. Therefore, Council refers this item back to Cabinet for reconsideration in light of the Government's proposed changes to housing need figures and urges Cabinet to engage with members about what this change in the assessment methodology will mean to our housing numbers in different wards, both in terms of our own housing need, but also the unmet Oxford need”.  

Those councillors supporting the amendment expressed the view that the council should reassess the housing figures in light of the consultation to ensure the Local Plan 2 accurately reflected the council’s current housing need and Oxford City’s unmet need. By doing so the council could protect local communities from unnecessary development and the associated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

Cabinet, at its meeting on 30 June 2017, considered the head of planning’s report on the community infrastructure levy and on the planning obligations supplementary planning document.  Following consultation on the draft community infrastructure levy charging schedule, the examination in public had been held in April.  The planning inspector found the charging schedule to be sound, subject to minor changes, which had been incorporated in the draft before Cabinet.  A copy of the report considered by Cabinet is available here. 

Cabinet authorised the Cabinet member for planning to agree an implementation date which is set out in the recommendation.  The charging schedule is attached to this agenda for Council’s consideration. 

Recommendation: to adopt the Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule, the Regulation123 List and the Instalment Policy, with an implementation date of 1 November 2017. 

Council considered Cabinet’s recommendations, made at its meeting on 30 June 2017, on the community infrastructure levy.  The proposed charging schedule was attached to the agenda for Council’s consideration. 

In supporting and welcoming Cabinet’s recommendation a councillor expressed concern at the time taken for the Council to adopt a charging schedule.

RESOLVED: to adopt the Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule, the Regulation123 List and the Instalment Policy, with an implementation date of 1 November 2017.