Agenda item

At its meeting held on 23 January 2006, the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group received and considered report 211/05 (attached to this agenda for information) regarding the draft Planning Policy Statement 3 on Housing.  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has published a consultation paper on this new Planning Policy Statement.  This and the good practice guides to be published alongside it will replace the old Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) statement 3 and its updates.  The closing date for comments is 27 February.  The Executive's comments are sought. 

The key sections of draft Statement are attached at Appendix 1 to the report for information.  The report highlights the key areas which the Council could support and where objections and concerns should be raised.  In summary, the Advisory Group had serious reservations about the document and considered the proposed PPS3:

·         moves from a plan-led system to one of responding to market demand

·         is contrary to the Government’s objectives of ensuring sustainable development, community involvement in the planning process, prioritising the development of brownfield sites; the efficient and timely provision of infrastructure and securing the maximum amount of affordable housing through the planning system

·         lacks clarity and will significantly increase the complexity of the processes for preparing development plans with major resource implications

The Advisory Group considers that:

• low cost market housing can have a role to play in providing affordable housing in areas where house prices are not as high as the Vale (paragraph 4.1 of the report refers)
• additional resources will be needed to complete the studies and assessments introduced in the draft Statement in a reasonable timescale (paragraph 4.3)
• investing in areas of low demand will help to bring forward brownfield sites for redevelopment (paragraph 4.5)
• car ownership is not the same as car use and that adequate car parking needs to be provided in residential areas (paragraph 4.9)
• the Government should be more explicit about the funding to be available for affordable housing (paragraph 4.10)
• paragraph 4.12 of the report should be strengthened before a response is made to the Secretary of State.  The demand-led planning ethos set out within the draft Statement must not allow the precious rural environment to be destroyed. 

The Advisory Group feels strongly that the draft Statement is seriously shortsighted in its principles.  This is an all-party view.  Copies of the Executive's resolved position should be publicised by being sent to the Local Government Association, the Planning Officers' Society, the five Oxfordshire Members of Parliament, other Oxfordshire District Councils, and be posted on the Council's website.  There should also be a press release and a 'user-friendly' executive summary for the website and the press. 

Recommendations

(a)        that the comments contained in the bullet points above, Section 4 and Appendices 2 and 3 to report 211/05 all be sent to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as the basis of this Council’s comments on draft Planning Policy Statement 3 and its associated draft guidance, subject to paragraph 4.12 being strengthened to urge protection of the precious rural environment; and

(b)        that copies of the Executive's resolved position be publicised by being sent to the Local Government Association, the Planning Officers' Society, the five Oxfordshire Members of Parliament, other Oxfordshire District Councils, and be posted on the Council's website.  An executive summary and a press release should be posted on the Council's website.  

(Time: 3.14pm to 3.20pm)

The Executive received and considered an agenda report regarding consultation on the draft Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing.  The Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group had considered report 211/05 (attached to the Executive's agenda for information) regarding the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's consultation paper on this new Planning Policy Statement.  This, together with good practice guides to be published alongside it, would replace the old Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) statement 3 and its updates.  The closing date for comments was 27 February 2006.  The Executive's comments were sought. 

The key sections of draft Statement were attached at Appendix 1 to the Advisory Group's report for information.  The report highlighted the key areas which the Council might support and where objections and concerns could be raised.  In summary, the Advisory Group had serious reservations about the document and considered that the proposed PPS3:

·         moved from a plan-led system to one of responding to market demand

·         was contrary to the Government’s objectives of ensuring sustainable development, community involvement in the planning process, prioritising the development of brownfield sites, the efficient and timely provision of infrastructure, and securing the maximum amount of affordable housing through the planning system

·         lacked clarity and would significantly increase the complexity of the processes for preparing development plans with major resource implications

The Advisory Group had considered that:

• low cost market housing could have a role to play in providing affordable housing in areas where house prices were not as high as the Vale (paragraph 4.1 of the report)
• additional resources would be needed to complete the studies and assessments introduced in the draft Statement in a reasonable timescale (paragraph 4.3)
• investing in areas of low demand would help to bring forward brownfield sites for redevelopment (paragraph 4.5)
• car ownership was not the same as car use and adequate car parking needed to be provided in residential areas (paragraph 4.9)
• the Government should be more explicit about the funding to be available for affordable housing (paragraph 4.10)
• paragraph 4.12 of the report should be strengthened before a response was made to the Secretary of State.  The demand-led planning ethos set out within the draft Statement must not allow the precious rural environment to be destroyed 

The Advisory Group felt strongly that the draft Statement was seriously shortsighted in its principles.  This was an all-party view.  It suggested that copies of the Executive's resolved position should be sent to the Local Government Association, the Planning Officers' Society, all Oxfordshire Members of Parliament, other Oxfordshire District Councils, and should be posted on the Council's website.  There should also be a press release and a 'user-friendly' executive summary for the website and the press. 

The Executive concurred with the Advisory Group's concerns at the proposals.  As this was an all-party view, the Chair of the Executive agreed to liaise with the Leader of the Opposition on the wording of the press release.  Members considered that the Executive's resolved position should also be sent to the County Council, as the existing strategic planning authority, and the South East England Regional Assembly, as the future strategic planning authority. 

RESOLVED

(a)        that the comments contained in the bullet points above, Section 4 and Appendices 2 and 3 to report 211/05 all be sent to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as the basis of this Council’s comments on draft Planning Policy Statement 3 and its associated draft guidance, subject to paragraph 4.12 being strengthened to urge protection of the precious rural environment; and

(b)        that copies of the Executive's resolved position be publicised by being sent to the Local Government Association, the Planning Officers' Society, all six Oxfordshire Members of Parliament, other Oxfordshire District Councils, Oxfordshire County Council, the South East England Regional Assembly, and an executive summary be posted on the Council's website and a press release issued.