Issue - meetings

To give consideration to the above consultation.

The Committee gave consideration to the consultation by 4NW on the draft North West Plan Partial Review. The Partial review of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) was limited to three subject areas: Gypsies and Travellers, Travelling Show People and Regional Parking Standards. These policies would have direct implications for the LDF and the Council’s core strategy would set out the criteria for the location of these sites, while other LDF documents would translate these requirements into land requirements, and set out how these sites would be delivered.

It was noted that, draft policy L6 proposed that the Council should make provision for a minimum of 60 additional permanent residential pitches and 10 transit pitches between 2007 and 2016. The Committee agreed that the figure for permanent residential pitches was still too high and should be in line with the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) requirement of 37 to 54.

With regard to the transit pitches, it was agreed that the reasons for accepting the higher number of 10 should be included in the response to the consultation and that the response should be amended to read ‘up to a maximum of 10’.

RESOLVED

That the relevant portfolio holder be recommended to submit the following response to 4NW:

1) That the Council objects to the Gypsy and Traveller pitch provision figures identified in draft policy L6 for Cheshire East as they exceed the figures shown in the Cheshire Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA);

2) That the Council objects to the current wording in policies L6 and L7, concerning the provision of an annual 3% compound increase in overall residential pitch provision beyond 2016, as it fails to fully recognise that a review of the GTAA may result in the requirement for a different level of provision or percentage increase beyond 2016;

3) That the Council supports the Travelling Showpeople plot provision for Cheshire East identified in draft policy L7. However the provision should be for up to a maximum of 10 plots. The reasons for agreeing to this provision should also be highlighted within the response.

4) That, while broadly welcoming the proposed revisions to the regional parking standards, the Council objects to some of the content of Table 8.1.