Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED: That Councillor Alistair Bradley be appointed Chair for the meeting.

The Chair, Councillor Alistair Bradley, welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked those present to introduce themselves.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Rebecca Noblet (South Ribble Borough Council) and John Potter (Preston City Council).

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee meeting held on 29 September 2016 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

The purpose of the report (enclosed) is to inform members about the preferred sites for a transit and permanent Traveller provision in Central Lancashire as part of the ongoing work on the Central Lancashire Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Local Plan.

Director of Business Development and Growth (Chorley Council) submitted a report which provided information about the preferred sites for a transit and permanent traveller provision in Central Lancashire as part of the ongoing work on the Central Lancashire Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Local Plan.

Peter McAnespie, Principal Planning Officer (Chorley Council) provided an overview of the report.  It was explained that since the results of the consultation had been reported to the last meeting of the Joint Advisory Committee, Central Lancashire officers have been assessing potential sites to accommodate the accepted Central Lancashire joint need for 4 transit Traveller pitches and Preston’s need for 22 permanent Traveller pitches.  Chorley Council and Preston City Council had both identified one preferred site, while South Ribble Borough Council had identified 2 sites.

The Central Lancashire authorities needed to agree how and where the transit site need could be best provided.  The three authorities would also explore how best to satisfy their respective permanent traveller site need and any travelling showpeople need that might emerge from ongoing discussions with the Travelling Showpeople. 

RESOLVED: That the report and appended timetable be noted.

The enclosed report provides members of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee with further information on the Full Objectively Assessed Housing Need and Strategic Housing Market Assessment evidence.

The Director of Development (Preston City Council) submitted a report which provided members of the Joint Advisory Committee of further information on the FOAHN and SHMA evidence.

Mike Molyneux, Planning Policy Manager (Preston City Council) gave an overview of the report.  Local planning authorities were required to identify the FOAN for market and affordable housing as part of the evidence underpinning their local plan.  The FOAN, whilst not the plan figure, underpinned the assessment of the five year supply of deliverable housing land enabling developers to argue that where it was out of date the five year supply figure could not be calculated and therefore, the local planning authority could not demonstrate that it had a five year supply of deliverable housing land. This would put unallocated land at risk from development.  All planning authorities without an up to date FOAN were vulnerable to that argument, which had been upheld by inspectors at appeal.

A new FOAN had been circulated by consultants GL Hearn.  Agreement was needed on the figure so that the SHMA could be finalised.

The table detailed in paragraph 15 or the report, set out the various differences in the projected number of dwellings per annum, and a comparison with the existing plan figures.  The figures from the ‘Variation SNPP from CS which had been omitted from the table reported as follows –

RESOLVED:  For each authority to adopt the report and note the current position with regards to the FOAN and SHMA report and the retention of Core Strategy Housing Requirements for the purposes of moving forward.

The Director of Business, Development and Growth (Chorley Council) submitted a report which provided members of the Joint Advisory Committee with an update on the latest Core Strategy Monitoring.

Alison Marland, Principal Planning Officer (Chorley Council) provided an overview of the report.  The Core Strategy Monitoring report covered the period from April 2015 to March 2016.  Monitoring policy implementation was achieved by reporting against a broad range of indicators taken from the Central Lancashire Core Strategy monitoring framework.  Taken together the indicators provided a comprehensive evidence base on which to inform policy implementation, delivery and review.

The main findings of the report were details as follows:

·         Homes for all; 1,363 dwellings were completed in Central Lancashire, in the monitoring year.  This figure was 22 units above the target of 1,341.

·         Affordable Housing completions; Chorley 85 (35 above target), Preston 178 (132 above target) and South Ribble 150 (120 above target).

·         Delivering Economic Prosperity; since 2010 employment land take-up had fallen significantly below the Core Strategy target.  However, this years’ take-up in Central Lancashire as a whole had increased significantly when compared with the previous year.

During debate, it was highlighted that the figures of Affordable Housing Completions would naturally decline as developments were completed.  Thought was therefore required as to how affordable housing figures could be delivered in future.  It was suggested to adopt Preston City Council’s strategy to increase in the number of affordable housing, by occupying empty properties.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

Members of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee will receive a verbal update on this item.

Steven Brown, the Assistant Planning Manager (South Ribble Borough Council) provided a verbal update on the Cycling Strategy work taken place.

It was reported that 12 primary cycle routes had been identified, some of which were short term priorities, while others were classed as long term priorities.  The 2nd trench of routes, were being identified to join up the primary routes. Once the work on the cycling and delivery plan had been completed, it would double the number of cycle lanes available.

During debate, it was clarified that it was relatively straight forward to include cycle lanes as part of new developments.  However, it was much harder to devise a new cycle route in an already developed area.   Improvements to  existing cycle routes would be ad hoc. 

The Chief Executive (Chorley Council) expressed the view that the authority would like the Cycling Strategy to include a number of aspirational cycling routes which could form part of a longer term plan.  Identified routes could then be included and delivered by way of a revised CIL 1, 2, 3 list.

RESOLVED: That the verbal update be noted.

Members of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee will receive a verbal update on this item.

Members of the Joint Advisory Committee received a verbal update in respect of the Employment Land Review from Jonathan Noad, Planning Manager (South Ribble Borough Council). 

It was stated that the BE Group, who had completed the full Employment Land Review in 2015 for South Ribble Borough Council, has been appointed to provide an Employment Land Review for the whole of Central Lancashire.  This would involve the firm speaking to businesses.

BE Group was expected to complete its report by the end of April 2017, after which it would be presented to the next Joint Advisory Committee.  During debate, it was agreed that the report be presented to the next Joint Advisory Committee as a draft document, to allow for any necessary amendments to a final report.

RESOLVED: That a draft report of the Employment Land Review be presented at the next meeting of the Joint Advisory Committee for consideration.  

Members of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee will receive a verbal update on this item.

The Planning Policy Manager (Preston City Council), Mike Molyneux provided a verbal update on the CIL review.

At the last meeting, the Joint Advisory Committee received an update report which provided the rationale behind a CIL review being undertaken.  The report indicated that the government had commissioned its own review of CIL, which was carried out by an independent panel between November 2015 and March 2016.  The panel reported to the government in June 2016, and that government’s response was imminent.

Since the last meeting, it had been announced that the government intended to replace CIL with an alternative form of mandatory charge.  Members of the Joint Advisory Committee were asked to consider whether there was any benefit to undertaking a review in Central Lancashire, and if so, would it be best for the review to take place on the potential for a wider range of uses to be CIL liable.

There was general agreement that a full review of CIL at this point was of little benefit.  However Gary Hall, the Chief Executive (Chorley Council) asked that further work be carried out on the infrastructure needs analysis. 

The Joint Advisory Committee was reminded that any CIL monies accrued from developments in the Preston and South Ribble authorities were allocated to City Deal projects, although it was recognised that there was some cross border work being carried out that involved Chorley Council.  It was agreed that a common approach needed to be reached when considering a revised infrastructure delivery schedule.

RESOLVED: That the verbal update be noted.

Members of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee will receive a verbal update on this item.

Mike Molyneux, the Planning Policy Manager (Preston City Council) explained that it was often the case that developers would try to renegotiate Section 106 contributions, on developments that had been granted planning permission, due to the perceived changes to the viability of those developments.  

It was reported that the revised Affordable Housing SPD would consider the issues relating to viability and look at ways to ensure Section 106 contributions were collected in full which could include staggered payments.

RESOLVED: That the verbal update be noted.

Members of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee will receive a verbal update on this item.

Marcus Hudson, the Head of Planning (Lancashire County Council) provided an update on the project currently underway as part of the City Deal programme which included:

Highways

·         Hope Lane, Penwortham

·         Tabbly Lane North West Preston

·         Broughton By-pass

Local Centres

·         New Hall Lane

·         Bamber Bridge Centre

·         Cannon Street (Preston city centre)

Planning applications submitted or due to be submitted

·         Preston East/West Link Road

·         South Ribble Western Distributer

·         Croston Road/Spine Road

It was noted that a significant amount of local authority funding towards City Deal projects came via the government’s new homes bonus which was being scrapped.  The Head of Planning (Lancashire County Council) advised that the Department of Communities and Local Government had been made aware what the impact that government changes had on delivering the City Deal.

RESOLVED – That the verbal update be noted.

Members of the Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Group to agree the meeting dates for the 2017/2018 municipal year.

·         13 June 2017

·         5 September 2017

·         30 January 2018

Lancashire County Council asked that the Group consider increasing the number of meetings per municipal year to 4 to coincide with City Deal milestones.  If the additional meeting is agreed the proposed date is 1 November 2017.

All the meetings will commence at 5.30pm. The venue for each meeting will be confirmed in the minutes.

The Joint Advisory Committee was asked to agree the dates of the committee for the 2017/18 municipal year; and to consider increasing the number of meetings to 4 at the request of colleagues from Lancashire County Council to coincide with City Deal milestones.

RESOLVED: It was agreed that the number of meetings per municipal year be increased to 4 to align with City Deal milestones and that the dates be confirmed as follows –

·         13 June 2017 - hosted by Preston City Council

·         5 September 2017 - hosted by South Ribble Borough Council

·         1 November 2017 - hosted by Chorley Council

·         30 January 2018 - hosted by Preston City Council

The Chair announced that Peter McAnespie, Principal Planning Officer would be leaving Chorley Council to take up a position in Nottingham.  On behalf of the Joint Advisory Committee, the Chair thanked Peter for his work and commitment to the Committee and wished him well for the future.