Decision details

Cabinet considered report 83/11 of the head of planning.  The report informed Cabinet of the consultation responses on the draft interim housing supply policy.  Cabinet was asked to agree a response to the main issues and to consider whether and how to progress the policy. 

The Cabinet member for planning reported that the council did not have a five-year housing land supply as required by the government.  Therefore, the council had to approve an interim housing supply policy to ensure it had enough housing land to achieve a five-year supply; there was no alternative.  Without such a policy, the council would be vulnerable to planning by appeal.  Therefore, he had approved a draft policy for consultation.  The consultation results were now available for Cabinet to consider.  He noted that most comments were on the suitability of housing sites suggested by land owners, not on the suitability of the policy.  The consultation results would allow the officers to carry out a detailed analysis of possible housing sites under this policy and to inform district councillors and the parish councils of the substantive issues. 

Other Cabinet members supported this approach.  Compared with other areas, the district had relatively low unemployment.  This caused problems for employers to find skilled staff.  The underlying cause was the lack of affordable housing to allow people to move to or for local families to stay in this area.  Cabinet was assured that the interim policy approach was lawful and at every step the officers would ensure the council was operating lawfully. 

Cabinet considered the responses, the statements made at the meeting, and the officers’ recommendations, and agreed that the council should:

(a)               progress the interim housing supply policy, with amendments, and report it in final form to full council on 16 May 2012 for formal adoption;

(b)               retain the interim housing supply policy presumption against bringing forward (in whole or part) preferred or alternative core strategy strategic housing sites being considered through the core strategy process, except as a last resort where and if necessary to achieve the interim housing supply policy housing supply objective, this to be established through the site screening process;

(c)               clarify that the primary role of the proportionate growth guideline would help manage the scale of development in individual settlements, especially in the ‘smaller’ and ‘other’ villages where it should not be significantly exceeded.  Realisation of the proportionate growth guideline should be subject to the availability (or provision e.g. by the developer) of sufficient local infrastructure capacity and services, and that adequate demonstration of this a requirement at planning application stage;

(d)               reiterate and cross reference the updated interim housing supply policy to local plan policy guidelines on provision of infrastructure, housing mix, including affordable housing, and community benefits;

(e)               confirm that the interim housing supply policy might be withdrawn early or amended if (1) the target number of 1,000 homes is reached, (2) the core strategy is adopted and its housing sites are in place, or (3) there is a material change in national planning policy guidance for five year housing land supply;

(f)                 set out how the interim housing supply policy fits within, complements and helps to deliver the council’s emerging core strategy housing supply approach, in accordance with the revised spatial strategy of ‘building on our strengths’; and

(g)               confirm to town and parish councils that this council has invited views on sites within their localities as part of the screening process, and that the council would attach significant weight to bringing forward sites they support.  Cabinet saw this as a ‘localism’ opportunity to negotiate with site promoters and influence the form and location of development, and any associated community benefits. 

Cabinet asked officers to begin the screening process, looking at all sites put forward for housing under the interim policy and take into account the proportionate growth guidelines.  Cabinet asked that communities (including parish councils and local district councillors) and site promoters were advised of the outcomes as soon as possible.  Cabinet also recommended amendments to the interim housing supply policy:

·        not to apply any policy relaxations in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or the Green Belt;

·        to consider Wantage and Grove together for proportionate growth assessment, in keeping with the approach to identify preferred strategic housing sites through the core strategy (resulting in a large negative, i.e. nil capacity for interim housing supply across both settlements).  To make any other minor adjustments necessary to proportionate growth guideline figures;

·        that achievement of the 1,000 home interim policy objective shall take into account all homes granted planning permission from 1 April 2012, but exclude homes permitted on sites already allocated for housing in the Local Plan 2011.  This would apply to individual settlements so that when their proportional growth figure was reached, no more development would be allowed in that settlement;

·        that in making up the total 1,000 homes sought, to look first to the larger villages not being considered for strategic housing allocation, but also to bring forward a small proportion of the homes sought on suitable sites in smaller and other villages.  To look next and if necessary, at sites within the large villages identified for potential strategic housing allocation through the core strategy internal review (Shrivenham, Watchfield, and Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor).  Throughout this process, to give priority to suitable sites that had support from the relevant parish council, and to sites suitable for development that were within the settlement boundary. 

RESOLVED: To

(a)       note the key issues from public consultation on the draft interim housing supply policy and agree the responses set out on pages 19-26 of the consultation statement at Annex A to report 83/11;

(b)       agree that the interim housing supply policy be finalised and reported in final form to full council on 16 May 2012 to be considered for formal adoption; and

(c)        authorise the head of planning, in consultation with the cabinet member with responsibility for planning, to finalise the amendments to the interim housing supply policy, including those in paragraph nine of report 83/11, for submission to full council.