Agenda item

To receive questions from members of the public under rule no.10 of the Council Procedure Rules.

There were no questions received.

Question from Mr M Elton
‘C77 is owned by World Habitat formally known as East Midlands Housing so it is likely that any building is going to be social or affordable housing.  Therefore it will be public money, funded by government grants, which will be used to build on this site.  This steep valley has an underground stream, surface coal seams and underground gas.  We have been advised by an ex- developer that this site will be extremely expensive to develop.  Do the Local Plan Committee, therefore feel that this would be a good use of public money to develop this site?’

Response from the Chair of the Local Plan Committee
‘A decision as to whether or not it is appropriate to undertake development at site C77 having regard to costs alone is for East Midlands Housing as the prospective developer to determine, it is not for the Council to judge if it represents a good use of public money. The Local Plan is concerned with determining, from a planning perspective, whether it is appropriate for sites to be developed. In this instance it is considered that site C77 is appropriate.’

In response to a supplementary question, the Planning Policy and Land Charges Team Manager informed that questioner that the Council was not aware of a survey that took place on the C77 site but would seek more information.

Question from Mr C Taylor
‘Full council voted 35 to 1 for the petition to remove WWV from the plan being referred to LPC, because WWV site doesn’t meet any of the plan objectives, isn’t in line with proposed planning reforms and fails to treat WWV fairly in terms of creating an area of separation.  Councillor Legrys proposed that no more sites should be removed which were recommended by Officers.  Does this mean that no sites will removed from the plan until the appeal stage, whether or not they are a viable?’

Response from the Chair of the Local Plan Committee
‘The decision as to whether any site should be excluded (or included) in the final Local Plan will, in the first instance, be for members of the Local Plan Committee to decide having regard to evidence, including, not limited to, the ongoing transport modelling and the viability assessment. The final decision as to the content of the Local Plan will rest with a meeting of the full Council.’

In response to a supplementary question, the Planning Policy and Land Charges Team Manager explained that the West Whitwick valley remained in the Local Plan because Officers considered it acceptable but ultimately the acceptability of sites was a decision for the Committee and Council to make. 

Question from Mr G Baker
‘I understand that HS2 safeguarding has now been lifted, a planning application for more than 4 ½ thousand properties at Isley Walton and 300 properties at Broomleys have been submitted and that part of the proposed Twycross new development will extend onto an area of NWLDC.  You have also stated that you will continue to plan for 686 properties to be built within the district per year, while the impact of Local Government restructuring on requirements is unclear. From your report it appears that you have already decided that the proposal to build on Packington Nook has also been removed.  Basic arithmetic would suggest that further sites will be removed.  I am concerned that sites will taken out of the plan based upon political influence rather than the viability of the site and impact upon the community. Could you explain to me please criteria for withdrawing sites from the New Local Plan?’

Response from the Chair of the Local Plan Committee
‘The site at Packington Nook was identified as a reserve site in the event that the safeguarding for HS2 was not removed as it affected sites that already had planning permission. As the safeguarding has now been removed it follows that a reserve site is no longer required.

In response to a supplementary question, the Planning Policy and Land Charges Team Manager explained that the master plan for the West Whitwick site was to ensure that the different parts of that site area would join up logically and the development of any area within the site would consider everything in the wider site, subject to consultation with the wider community.