Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Planning and Infrastructure

The Planning Policy Team Manager presented the report to Members.

Members welcomed the work undertaken by officers and following discussion they were more minded to include a Health and Wellbeing Policy as per option two rather than to not have one at all. 

Some concern was raised in relation to the possible restriction on policy requirements for small and medium sized developers as large developers could use this route to avoid the building of affordable housing.  The Planning Policy Team Manager agreed that this could be an issue but there was a requirement to support small and medium sized developers.  He added that an alternative approach could be taken to define these developers such as number of dwellings or size of the site rather than the annual turnover, however major developers did build on smaller sites which would go against what was trying to be achieved. 

In response to a comment from a Member, the Planning Policy Team Manager explained that the aim of the health impact assessments would be demonstrate that developments had the provision of cycle, pedestrian and open spaces and other factors which helped to make a development healthy from the perspective of future residents, but gathering the information could be more difficult as evidence would be required as a baseline.  It was essential for the assessment to be meaningful.  Members agreed that the detail was important and there was a need for an overarching policy so that it could be used successfully at Planning Committee when considering planning applications. 

It was moved by Councillor J Legrys, seconded by Councillor D Bigby and

RESOLVED THAT:

The potential policy options for –

a)     A Health and Wellbeing Policy; and

b)     A Health and Wellbeing Assessment Policy

be agreed for inclusion in the next consultation stage of the Local Plan.