Issue - meetings

To consider report 83/11 of the head of planning. 

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  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65

To consider report 78/11 of the head of planning. 

Cabinet considered report 78/11 of the head of planning.  The Cabinet member with responsibility for planning reported that this concluded the internal review of the core strategy as part of the local development framework and looked beyond to the new planning policy framework.  The core strategy broadly indicated how the council would meet the housing target for the Vale of White Horse up to 2028/29.  The report outlined the main possible components of future housing, including what appeared to be the strongest strategic housing sites.  The draft strategy had been updated to focus development in the Science Vale UK area, the Vale’s main settlements, and the Vale’s larger villages.  The draft strategy had been through a consultation phase with district councillors and other partners.  He believed the timescale was realistic and the strategy could be robustly defended at a public inquiry. 

Cabinet also considered the statement submitted by Mr Tony Hughes of the Keep Harwell Rural Campaign, as summarised in minute Ca.58. 

Cabinet was asked to confirm these strategic housing sites for further consideration and public consultation.  Turning to the proposals in paragraph 8 of the report, Cabinet supported the core strategy proposals to:

• Include as preferred option sites:

(i)            Up to 2,150 homes at ValleyPark (in Harwell parish, west of Didcot and the A34)

(ii)          Up to 400 homes at Harwell Oxford Campus

(iii)        Up to 400 homes at Faringdon, south of Park Road

(iv)         Up to 1,500 homes at Crab Hill, north-east of Wantage

• Allocate an additional main settlement urban expansion on land north of Grove, including Monk’s Farm, for up to 900 homes
• Allocate strategic sites to accommodate up to 850 homes in the larger villages, with first consideration going to options in Kingston Bagpuize, Shrivenham and Watchfield
• Allocate smaller sites for up to 1,400 homes in the later ‘Managing Development’ Development Plan Document
• Make no reliance on windfalls as a source of supply in the plan period

Cabinet stressed that although these figures totalled 7,600 homes, the core strategy plans to provide 6,300 homes.  Whilst each identified source of housing supply would contribute, the council would not be seeking to secure the maximum number of potential homes indicated from every site.  Some sites would be lower than the maximum indicated, but   there would need to be sufficient development on any given site to deliver the necessary supporting infrastructure.

Cabinet asked the officers to carry out further technical work to establish where reductions can best be made.  This is to include the testing of alternative levels of development for all the preferred housing locations, with an example suggested that officers test 500 homes less than the maximum at both the Crab Hill site at Wantage, and at Valley Park west of Didcot.  Cabinet also expressed that care should be taken over adding additional development at the Harwell Oxford Campus. 

Cabinet also noted that the 6,300 homes to plan for may be reduced further before the submission of the draft core strategy, because there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60

To consider report 22/11 of the head of planning on the first part of the internal review, the core strategy housing target, how the South East Plan (SE Plan) housing target was founded and whether this target remains relevant to the Vale for plan-making purposes in the context of the pending abolition of regional plans including the SE Plan signaled in the Localism Bill attached. 

Cabinet considered report 22/11 of the head of planning that reviewed the South East Plan’s housing target for the Vale and its relevance to the council’s core strategy.  This formed part of the process in determining the council’s strategic direction of the core strategy, which would shape and guide development across the Vale.  The government wanted councils to take responsibility to identify the right level of housing for their area.  The Localism Bill proposed to remove regional spatial planning strategies, including the South East Plan.  Councils would then be free to determine their housing levels but these must be defendable. 

The report looked at the foundation behind the South East Plan housing target.  This showed that the assumptions behind the target were still relevant and provided the basis to continue with it.  Cabinet agreed with these conclusions and agreed to monitor the situation and adjust the target if necessary.  This approach would help correct the current backlog of house completions and allow flexibility. 

RESOLVED:

(a)       to continue to rely on the South East Plan housing target beyond the plan’s pending revocation, as a basis for progressing the emerging core strategy; and

(b)       to keep under review the evidence and planning guidance relevant to the appropriate level of housing provision, to refine the core strategy housing target if appropriate.