Agenda and minutes

It was moved, seconded and RESOLVED that Councillor P Malpas be appointed to Chair the meeting.

(Councillor Malpas assumed the Chair at this point).

The Chair welcomed everyone present to the meeting of the Joint Advisory Committee and requested the members and officers present to introduce themselves.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor P Goldsworthy (Chorley Council), Councillor A Hackett (Preston Council), Councillor J Hesketh (South Ribble Council), County Councillor T Ashton (Lancashire County Council), Mr P Kuit (Director of Development, Preston Council) and Mr M Kirby (Chief Planning Officer, Lancashire County Council).

The minutes of the last meeting of the Central Lancashire LDF Joint Advisory Committee held on 6 May 2009 were confirmed as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Joint LDF Officer Team on the findings of the research.

The Joint LDF Officer Team presented a report which summarised the findings of the Residential Futures research report for the Central Lancashire City Region, which was one of a series of consultants’ research projects commissioned for the Northern Way.

The research programme had explored linkages between housing and economic competitiveness, suggesting a policy agenda for the next decade which aimed to ensure the provision of the correct mix of housing required to satisfy the needs of an evolving economy.

The Central Lancashire City Region report covered the whole of the Lancashire sub-region and had examined in depth the role and functions of the following five “typologies” of place within the County, together with the role that each locality would be expected to undertake in the future:

·        Leyland (South Ribble);

·        Fishwick, Preston;

·        South West Burnley;

·        Mereside, Blackpool;

·        Lytham St Annes.

The Officers’ report concentrated on the findings related to the following typologies of particular relevance to the Central Lancashire Core Strategy:

·        Leyland (South Ribble) – a mid-market area with a good standard of suburban housing with a better range and quality than most other areas, but which could be threatened by demographic and economic changes;

·        Fishwick, Preston – an area which, while preserving a generally adequate housing structure, was hindered by a surrounding area of relatively low investment.

The report also alerted Members to the research findings in relation to South West Burnley, identified as an example of an area with the potential to fulfil a number of the future economic and housing needs of Pennine Lancashire and possibly wider.

One of the conclusions to the report suggested the identification of areas of central Preston and inner east Preston where residential development could link directly with growth sectors to encourage the return of people to the City region.  Strategies which sought to align the residential offer with local economic and regeneration initiatives should be pursued.  In addition, a more detailed analysis of the suburban markets was recommended.

The Officers assured the Committee that the issues raised within the research findings would be addressed and taken into account during the deliberations on the emerging Lancashire Integrated Strategy and Lancashire Housing Strategy.

The Joint Advisory Committee AGREED to note the report and research findings at this stage.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Joint LDF Officer Team seeking a response to the published consultation paper.

The Joint Advisory Committee received and considered a report of the Joint LDF Officers Team which sought responses to a Government Consultation paper on the draft Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Prosperous Economies (PPS).

The new draft PPS proposed the amalgamation of a number of existing planning policy statements into one document to combine each of the Government’s planning policies on the economy.  The new PPS aimed to create a streamlined, coherent set of policies designed to meet the current and longer term economic challenges.  It was intended that the policies set out in the draft PPS would be taken into account by regional planning bodies in revisions to Regional Spatial Strategies and by local planning authorities in the preparation of Local Development Frameworks.

The report outlined the several plan-making and decision-making policies contained within the draft PPS, including policies to the applied for economic developments (including Use Class B and housing developments), town centre uses and other developments which would meet employment objectives, or which would generate wealth or an economic output or product.

The new PPS aimed to encourage a less restrictive approach to economic development, and allow a more flexible approach to change of use applications and applications within town centres to support the vitality and viability of town centres.  In this context, the Committee Members referred to the difficulties facing local planning authorities in resisting certain changes of use of shops and hoped that the new PPS would allow local authorities wider powers to determine the future use of village shops.

The Joint Advisory Committee AGREED that, subject to the response taking on board the additional views and comments expressed by the Members, the comments contained in the appendix to the report form the basis of a response to the consultation paper on the draft Planning Policy Statement 4.

The Members noted that the next meeting of the Central Lancashire LDF Joint Advisory Committee was scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 26 August 2009 at Preston Town Hall.