Minutes - Central Bedfordshire Council

Minutes
Title of meeting:
Planning Services Client Side Panel Minutes
Date:
19th September 2014
Venue:
Room 15, Priory House
Contact:
Carol Watts – 0300 300 4252
Attendees:
See Below
Name
Services/ Directorate/Organisation
Telephone
Andrew Davie (AD)
Development Infrastructure Group
Manager, CBC
0300 300 4426
Peter Keates (PK)
Head of Building Control and Albion
Archaeology, CBC
0300 300 4380
Richard Fox (RF)
Head of Development Planning and
Housing Strategy, CBC
0300 300 4105
Alison Hunt (AH)
Systems Development Manager, CBC
0300 300 5093
Angela Odell (AO)
Business Support Officer, CBC
0300 300 4316
Martin Page (MP)
Barfords
Will Riley (WR)
David Lock Associates
Andrew Parry (AP)
DLP Planning Ltd
David Herne (DH)
Herne Homes Development
John Shephard (JS)
J & J Design
Lee Butler (LB)
Lee Butler MRICS
Martin Humberstone (MH)
Levitt Partnership
Leina Maximin (LM)
Maxim Architects
Simon Collier (SC)
O&H Properties
Alex Bond (AB)
PCMS Ltd
Craig Nixon (CN)
Phillips Planning Services Ltd
Frank Porthouse (FP)
Project Design Studio Ltd
Andrew Barr (AB)
Robinson & Hall
Kevin Sherwood (KS)
Sherwood Architects Ltd
Richard Murdock (RM)
Woods Hardwick Ltd
Gary Worth (GW)
Worth Planning and Design
Carol Watts (CW)
PA/PO to Development Infrastructure
Group Manager
Apologies
Bob Harrington, Richard Sarraff, Steven Smith, Stuart
Carruthers, Ian Lawson, Lloyd Spencer, Mike Easton, Pippa
Cheetham, Ben Morris, Mark Kingsley, Richard Sheen
No.
Item
1.
Minutes of the last meeting held on the 23rd May 2014
0300 300 4252
FP reported that the S106 calculator was not working correctly
and did not show the affordable housing element. AH will
investigate.
2.
Actioned by
AH
Regeneration and Business Directorate Update
AD gave a presentation which is attached to these Minutes.
3.
Development Management Update:
GW asked whether there was any way of identifying whether a
HAA would be required to support a planning application without
having to contact the Archaeologists. The website provides
information on the process and it is possible to view some of the
Historic Environment Record data on the Heritage Gateway but
Agents do need to contact the Archaeologists to ascertain
whether an HAA is required.
GW also said that in order to get an application validated there is
a requirement to show 3 roads on Site Location Plans which in
rural areas can make the cost of producing the Plan expensive.
AD
AD will investigate whether it is necessary to show 3 roads.
AD reported that the Judicial Review of the HRN1 application is
listed for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th December. Preliminary work has
started on the A5-M1 Link with construction due to commence
March 2015. We are waiting for the Development Consent
Order to be granted for the Woodside Link.
4.
Development Planning Policy Update:
RF gave a presentation which is attached to these Minutes.
RF reported that the Gypsy &Traveller Plan has been withdrawn.
DCLG have published a G & T Consultation Planning and
travellers: proposed changes to planning policy and guidance Consultations - GOV.UK
Discussion took place on Affordable Housing Policy 34 in the
Development Strategy which states that four residential
dwellings should provide at least one affordable dwelling and it
was felt that the viability of this was discouraging the small local
builder. RF advised that in the North the adopted Core Strategy
applied but in the South the Adopted Local Plan of 2004 has
been overtaken by the NPPF and therefore some weight is
being given to the Development Strategy on the issue of
Affordable Housing, but that Agents should contact the case
officer to discuss viability issues. FP suggested that this policy
should not be implemented until the Development Strategy is
adopted. AD and RF will discuss. AD and RF have agreed that
while limited weight will be attributed to the Development
Strategy until it is submitted to the Secretary of State even this
limited weight will be of significance in the south given the
existing outdated policy framework in the southern area.
Therefore the policies in the Development Strategy will continue
to be very relevant to the consideration of planning applications
in this area. The weight to be attributed to the Development
Strategy will also depend upon the type of application and which
policies are applied to the application.
GW suggested that viability issues could be considered at the
pre-app stage. AD will consider what evidence would be
required for this to be effective.
In relation to the Allocations Plan and call for sites, MP asked if
there would be a size limit and RF advised it would be smaller
sites, 50-100 dwellings.
RF confirmed that Policy 29a Market-Led Sustainable
Development would not be implemented until the Development
Strategy is adopted.
CIL is being refreshed following the initial consultation, revisiting
the commercial figures and whether there should be a
differential in the residential figures. We are expecting the
results of this refresh by the end of September and hopefully
pre-submission consultation will take place at the end of 2014.
JS advised that in another Authority the Inspector required a
document recording the responses to consultation on the
Development Strategy.
AD/RF
AD
5.
Building Control Update:
PK gave a presentation, attached to these Minutes along with
his notes.
FP said that he is having problems with getting a receipt when
paying for Planning and Building Regulations applications. PK
will investigate.
6.
PK
AOB
A Public Inquiry is scheduled for the 30th September to consider
a planning application for land at the rear of 102 to 126 High
Street, Henlow, this will test CBC’s 5 year land supply and the
SHMA figures.
Luton’s unmet housing need is being partly addressed through
CBC’s increase in numbers in the Development Strategy. CBC
have committed to meeting half of the unmet need for Luton
even though Luton have not signed the Memorandum of
Understanding.
AB asked whether CBC have received many applications for
Permitted Development Rights on agricultural buildings and
business to residential and whether these have been successful.
AD will investigate and feedback.
AD
KS raised concern that there is a time limit of 21 days for
Councillors to call in an application to Development Control
Committee and the case officer is not always in a position at that
stage to advise whether the application will be approved so that
the Councillor can decide whether they want to call in the
application. The Chairman and Vice-chairman are currently
reviewing the reasons for applications to be called in to
Committee and AD will discuss this with the Chairman.
7.
Next meeting – 30th January 2015
AD

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