Minutes:
The Head of Planning and Regeneration provided a briefing on the planning policy development process. She explained that local planning policy was framed through a Local Development Framework (LDF), which included various planning documents, including the Core Strategy. The LDF was a statutory requirement and the key tool for decision making in the planning arena.
The Core Strategy was one of several LDF documents, which together made up local planning policy. All future planning decisions should be made in accordance with the Core Strategy, so it was very important that the strategy reflected local planning preferences. The Core Strategy should be “grass roots” up; reflecting what local residents wanted and yet consistent with national planning policy.
The Core Strategy Vision stated;
“By 2026 Bromsgrove District and its communities will have become sustainable, prosperous, safe, healthy and vibrant. People from all sections of society will have been provided with access to homes, jobs and services. The attractiveness of the District in terms of its landscape, built form and settlements will have been preserved and enhanced”.
It was suggested that more work could be done to give the Core Strategy Vision a particular Bromsgrove District emphasis. The challenge was to give full consideration and include planning policy guidance that reflected what was important to Bromsgrove District. The Head of Planning and Regeneration highlighted some of the key objectives of the draft Core Strategy.
One objective was summarised as “we want the town centre of Bromsgrove to be thriving and vibrant, and to meet the facilities of its residents and we want to focus development, whether that be employment or housing, in and around Bromsgrove town, so that the town centre would be the first location of new development”. It was therefore envisaged that approximately 60% of new development would happen there.
Residential settlements within the District had been categorised into “large” and “small”. “Large” settlements generally had an “Area of Development Restraint” (ADR) attached to them; which indicated (paradoxically) that these areas had previously been identified in the local plan as areas where land designated as restrained development could be used for development at some point in the future. The policy was that these ADRs should, going forward, be considered for development, although further consideration might be given to the precise form of development in these areas. For example, whether Hagley should be developed with all housing or a mix of housing and employment developments.
One objective was summarised as “the protection and enhancement of the unique character, quality and appearance of the historic and natural environment throughout the District”. There were a large amount of listed buildings and conservation areas throughout the District and it was important to consider how to protect these.
The Head of Planning and Regeneration said that it was her understanding that the Council wanted to identify housing for 4000 new property developments and she clarified that this was a local choice and not something that had been imposed by the Regional Spatial Strategy.
Attention was drawn to the key sections of the Core Strategy, which included: 1. development strategy, 2. housing development, 3. business development, 4. town centre development, 5. environmental and health issues
It was noted that section 5 (environmental and health issues) included a policy on food takeaway establishments which would enable in due course the production of a Supplementary Planning Document to address this issue.
It was envisaged that the draft Core Strategy would be considered at Cabinet on 1st December 2010. A special full Council meeting would be held shortly after Cabinet. The consultation period would be from 15th December 2010 until the end of February 2011.
A range of informal meetings, open to all councillors, had been set up through the LDF Working Party, to allow input from all councillors in the development of the new Core Strategy. A range of activities for public consultation had also been arranged and councillors were welcome to become involved in these.
Councillor Tidmarsh extended an invitation from Stoke Prior Parish Council to the Head of Planning and Regeneration to attend a meeting of the parish council to explain the consultation process for the Core Strategy and to get feedback as part of the consultation process. The Head of Planning and Regeneration said that she would be happy to attend, preferably at an early stage in the consultation period. It was also suggested that a joint meeting of parish councils, for example through the Parish Council Forum, could be arranged to engage with all parish councils simultaneously.
It was asked if there was scope to reconsider some of the designated ADRs within the draft Core Strategy and what the existential period for a ADR was once it had been designated. The Head of Planning and Regeneration explained that there was always an anticipated end date for an ADR, although some of those designated may already have expired or changes in planning policy and legislation could outmode the Core Strategy at any time. She clarified that it was possible to reconsider ADRs within the local plan, but that to accommodate the identified 4000 new housing developments it may be necessary to reconsider the designation of green belt land to compensate for the removal of any ADRs. This would entail a more detailed review of the local plan which may delay the development of local planning policy.
The Chairman thanked the Head of Planning and Regeneration for her presentation.