Agenda item

To receive and consider report 27/06 of the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group and the recommendations of the Development Control Committee. 

MEMBERS ARE REQUESTED TO BRING TO THIS MEETING THE SUPPLEMENTARY PAPERS SENT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE AGENDA FOR THE MEETING HELD ON 3 JULY 2006.  THIS DOCUMENT WAS SEPARATELY STAPLED FROM THE MAIN AGENDA. 

(Time: 3.44pm to 3.57pm)

The Executive received and considered report 27/06 of the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group, together with the recommendations of the Development Control Committee on the Local Plan Supplementary Planning Guidance as set out in a tabled briefing note. 

The Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group had considered the report in detail at its meeting on 26 June 2006.  The report set out comments received on the revised draft Supplementary Planning Guidance, recommending changes to parts of the guidance.  The Committee had agreed with these and added a few suggestions of its own.  Further to the briefing note, Members noted that:

• The Guidance for the major development site at Faringdon showed the linkages to all the footpaths and cycleways on the map referred to by the Faringdon Area Project.  It was accepted that there was no need to change it further
• The description of the topography of Grove Airfield should be amended further to "Although the land is generally flat, its highest section is in the southern part of the site and…"
• No change was needed to the Affordable Housing Guidance as reference to the sites owned or controlled by developers could remain as option agreements held by the Land Registry
• There had been a recent meeting between officers and the Housing Corporation, which said that it was not going to use the EcoHomes standard in the future but would require schemes to comply with the Code for Sustainable Homes.  The Guidance would be changed accordingly
• A complaint had been received from Levells, on behalf of Persimmon Homes and McCarthy and Stone, objecting to the way their representations had been summarised.  They wished that Members' attention was drawn to:

(i)         Levells believed that the Council had no basis for taking more than the value of free land.  However, the officers reported that Council's negotiations had been on the viability of the site as a whole, which could be more than the value of the free land.

(ii)        The requirement that intermediate rent levels should be no more than 150% of target rent levels did not take into account the affordability gap.  Smaller properties might receive a smaller percentage discount on the open market, compared to larger properties.  However, the officers reported that the Guidance said intermediate rents should generally be no more than 150% of target rents.  This gave flexibility if the Council was satisfied that there were sound reasons for accepting a higher rental figure.

(iii)       The original representation contained a model for calculating viability, which the developers wished to be included in the Guidance as they believed there was no clear basis to demonstrate the Council was being fair, reasonable and consistent in its approach to different sites.  However, the officers reported that there were other models to assess viability and did not have to be part of the Guidance.  An assessment would take place of the best model to use. 

Members agreed with the officers' conclusions on each of the points above and agreed with the changes to the Guidance suggested by the Advisory Group and the Committee. 

R E C O M M E N D E D

(a)        that the comments received on the revised draft Supplementary Planning Guidance be noted;

bi)        that the Supplementary Planning Guidance be adopted with effect from 20 July 2006, subject to the changes made in each of the following appendices to these minutes:

§         House Extensions Design Guide - Appendix 1

§         Parking Standards - Appendix 2

§         Timbmet Site, Cumnor Hill - Appendix 3

§         Land West of Timbmet Timber Yard, Cumnor Hill - Appendix 4

§         GroveTechnologyPark, Grove            - Appendix 5

§         KingstonBusinessPark, Kingston Bagpuize - Appendix 6

§         WhiteHorseBusinessPark, Stanford in the Vale - Appendix 7

§         Curtis Industrial Estate and Hinksey Business Centre, Botley - Appendix 8

§         Planning and Public Art - Appendix 9

§         Flood Zone Maps & Flood Risk - Appendix 10

§         Land between A420 and Faringdon, North of Park Road, Faringdon - Appendix 11

§         Former Airfield West of Grove, Development Principles and Guidelines - Appendix 12

§         Affordable Housing - Appendix 13

(c)        that a copy of the consultation undertaken, the representations received and the Council's response, be made available with the Supplementary Planning Guidance, together with an introduction explaining issues such as legal agreements; and

(iv)       that authority be delegated to the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) to make any minor editorial changes, and any substantive changes to be made in consultation with the Chair of the Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group.