Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Planning and Infrastructure

The Planning Policy Team Manager presented the report to Members.

Councillor D Harrison stated that it was good news to now know the figures but raised concerns over the possible need for ‘Big Sheds’ and lorry parks and the effect on the climate. He questioned that if the figures were split equally between the districts and boroughs, where would they go in the district. He urged caution when discussions took place as to what the authority wanted or needed.

The Planning Policy Team Manager understood the concerns raised as other authorities would push that they were unable to take any further development. In relation to ‘Big Sheds’, he clarified that in terms of the unmet need it included warehouses but not strategic warehousing. He informed Members that the authorities need to work collectively and that the need was in Leicester City, with which NWL did not have any common boundaries.

Councillor J Legrys stated that it was a good report and had great sympathy with officers as they were trying to deal with the situation whilst in lockdown. He noted that it was an update report but added caution as to how the need would be distributed in a democratic way, as there needed to be considerable transparency in the decision-making. He accepted that the city needs to expand beyond its boundaries but some authorities would refuse to take any additional amount required.

The Planning Policy Team Manager advised that the key matter in trying to ensure transparency was the collective work that officers were carrying out to look at reasonable options, which would then be subject to an independent appraisal and engagement with the Planning Advisory Service. He informed the committee that the technical information would be shared with the Member Advisory Group and then to each local authority which would show the reasoning of the re-distribution.

Councillor J Legrys noted that it was not just transparency with elected members but also with the public and asked that the whole process be explained well.

Councillor T Saffell stated that he was of the same opinion as Councillor J Legrys and that until all other possibilities had been exhausted the authority should not take any unmet need off Leicester City.

Councillor D Bigby stated that he felt that good points had been made on the need for transparency during the process and, as part of that, he asked that it was ensured that the committee was kept up to date on what was being discussed behind the scenes rather than the final figures just being put before the committee for agreement. He expressed concerns that the review was behind on the set timescales, which could not be helped, but felt that it would be useful for a revised timetable to be shared. He also felt that the committee was being drip-fed information but seeing a detailed roadmap as to how everything would be dealt with and when would be useful as there were a number big issues, such as the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33