Issue - meetings

To give consideration to the draft Interim Planning Policy on Release of Housing Land

Consideration was given to a report outlining that, at its meeting held on 18 October 2010, Cabinet considered the requirement to maintain a five year supply of housing land and approved the draft Interim Planning Policy on the Release of Housing Land to manage the release of additional land as an interim measure pending the adoption of the Local Development Framework Core Strategy. The report considered the responses that had been received to the consultation that took place on the draft policy and proposed revisions to the draft Interim Planning Policy in the light of the comments made.  The report had been considered by Strategic Planning Board on 26 January and their recommendations had been included in the report. 

Since preparing the report for the Scrutiny Committee, Natural England had submitted its comments on the Habitats Regulations Assessment undertaken on the interim policy. Natural England was seeking additional clarification on the mitigation measures required to ensure that the policy did not impact on European Habitats Sites, and the following revisions were proposed to the justification to the policy:

• Recommendation 41:

The development of any greenfield sites adjacent to the settlement boundaries will be considered as exceptional development and will be required to be of a high design standard and deliver 35% of the development as affordable housing in accordance with the Interim Affordable Housing Policy. New development will also incorporate open space and community facilities in accordance with the relevant saved Local Plan policy and will aim to provide access to open space in line with relevant accessibility standards outlined within the Cheshire East Open Space Assessment.They will also be required to contribute towards the improvements to the strategic and local transport networks and public transport in and around Crewe. In order to safeguard European Sites in proximity to Crewe, any highway improvements to serve the new development will not be located within 300m of a European Site and where necessary will incorporate run-off interception measures.

• Natural England had also commented that the Regulations governing European Habitats should be updated to “the Conservation of Habitats and Special Regulations 2010”
• Recommendation 39 be revised to replace the “Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 2007” with “Conservation of Habitats and Special Regulations 2010”

RESOLVED

That subject to the revised recommendations highlighted above, Cabinet recommend that the Council:

1.Approve the housing requirement figure of 1150 net additional dwellings to be delivered annually, to be used pending the adoption of the Local Development Framework Core Strategy.

2.      Approve the adoption of the Interim Planning Policy on the Release of Housing Land as set out in Appendix 2 to the report and agree that it be used in the determination of planning applications.