Issue - meetings

Report of the Interim Head of Planning and Infrastructure

The Planning Policy Team Manager presented the report to Members.  He advised that the proposed approach to the review of the local plan was approved by Cabinet in July and was detailed within appendix b of the report.  He expressed the importance of continuing the substantive review alongside the partial review.

In response to the request for an update from Councillor Johnson, the Planning Policy Team Manager reported that a potential gypsy and traveller’s site had been identified in March 2018 but was not supported. .  Work on this would continue through the substantive review and progress reports would be brought to committee in due course.

In response to a question from Councillor V Richichi, the Planning Policy Team Manager confirmed that there was currently a 5-year housing land supply. The assessment had been prepared following discussion with individual developers/landowners. In response to a further query from Councillor V Richichi he advised that it did include some sites which had outline permission, but these were either subject to a reserved matters application of pre-application discussions with a view to a reserved matters application. The sites that were not at either of these two stages were not included in the calculations.  Councillor V Richichi asked why it was necessary to assist the City Council with their land supply when we already had more than required.  The Planning Policy Team Manager explained that national policies required that the Leicestershire authorities collectively accommodate the area’s needs; therefore, we would need to provide assistance.  He added that any unmet need from the City redirected to North West Leicestershire may not be high but at this stage, it was impossible to say.

In response to a further question regarding the authority’s assistance with the City Council’s land supply from Councillor N Smith, the Planning Policy Team Manager explained that the City Council would be required to demonstrate that they could not meet the need; therefore, officers would be examining the evidence carefully moving forward.

In response to a question from Councillor N Smith regarding gypsy and traveller sites, the Planning and Policy Team Manager stated that officers liaised with the County Council officer with responsibility for gypsies and travellers and that he communicated with the gypsy and traveller community

Councillor J Legrys felt that all the different organisations and authorities involved in strategic growth planning throughout the region were having discussions in isolation; therefore, the committee was not seeing the full picture.  He also reported that residents were complaining about planning policies being ignored when considering large planning applications and questioned why policies were drawn up in the first place.

The Chairman agreed that it would be good to receive updates of what was happening regionally with strategic growth and asked for a regular item on the agenda.  The Planning Policy Team Manager explained that it might not be possible for information at every meeting but agreed to provide regular updates.

Councillor D Bigby asked officers if they were confident that the Planning Inspector  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12