(Report of Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health)
The report sought endorsement of a response to a Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) consultation which had been submitted by the 9 November deadline. Details were given of the 19 questions on which views had been invited together with the full response to each.
The proposals raised a number of concerns, particularly in relation to the approach to calculating housing needs and questions were raised regarding the sustainability of the targets, delivery of affordability and consistency of approach across the country. It was noted that the consultation introduced delay and uncertainty to the Local Plan process. In view of the importance and high profile of this subject, the response to the consultation had been sent to all Members and a presentation made to the recent meeting of the Parish Partnership Panel. It was requested that an attempt be made to quantify the additional work involved in re-examining the evidence base as a result of the proposals for transmission to the DCLG.
Following consideration by the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board, the Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure resolved that:
The comments set out at Annex 1 to the report be endorsed as the Council’s formal response to the consultation together with a quantification of the additional work involved.