Agenda for Overview & Scrutiny Committee on Monday, 19th November, 2018, 6.15 pm

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Civic Centre, Silver Street, Enfield, EN1 3XA. View directions

Contact: Stacey Gilmour 

Items
No. Item

863.

WELCOME & APOLOGIES

Minutes:

Councillor Levy welcomed all attendees to the meeting. The following substitutes were noted:

 

Councillor Ian Barnes for Councillor Susan Erbil;

Councillor Vicki Pite for Councillor Huseyin Akpinar;

Councillor Hass Yusuf for Councillor Tolga Aramaz.

864.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members of the Council are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests relevant to the items on the agenda.

 

Minutes:

865.

CALL IN OF REPORT: ENFIELD'S NEW LOCAL PLAN 2036 DRAFT FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION pdf icon PDF 144 KB

To receive and consider a report from the Director of Law and Governance outlining details of a call-in received on the Local Plan Cabinet Sub-Committee Decision taken on Enfield’s New Local Plan 2036 Draft for Public Consultation (Report No. 117).

 

The decision that has been called in was a Local Plan Cabinet Sub-Committee Decision taken on 24 October 2018 and included on the Publication of Decision List No: 31/18-19 (List Ref:1/31/18-19) issued on 26 October 2018.

 

It is proposed that consideration of the call-in be structured as follows:

· Brief outline of the reasons for the call-in by representative (s) of the members who   have called in the decision

· Response to the reasons provided for the Call-in by a Cabinet Member responsible for taking the decision

· Debate by Overview and Scrutiny Committee and agreement of action to be taken

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report from the Director of Law and Governance outlining details of a call-in received on the Local Plan Cabinet Sub-Committee Decision taken on 24/10/2018 – ‘Enfield’s New Local Plan 2036 Draft for Public Consultation).’

 

The Chair invited Councillor Laban to outline the reasons for call-in. He reminded everyone that discussion at this meeting would focus on the specific reasons for the call-in.

 

She outlined the reasons for call-in and highlighted the following:

 

·         The Local Plan, which was about to go out for consultation, was an important document which would shape the future development in the borough until 2036. If we got it wrong, there would be consequences.

·         The main arguments for calling in this decision related primarily to green belt issues and these are detailed in points 2, 3 and 4 of the reasons for call-in. although points 1 and 5 should also be considered.

·         Local Plans must be in general conformity with the London Plan. The Policies regarding Green Belt release included in this draft Local Plan would not be in general conformity with the Mayor’s London Plan.

·         The London Plan is very robust with regards to the Green Belt. It states that the extension of the Green Belt will be supported where appropriate however its de-designation will not.

·         Building on the green belt did not conform to the Mayor of London’s draft London Plan and opposition members therefore queried why such proposals had been included in the consultation document.

·         Great emphasis in the report is placed on the projected figure for population growth. Enfield’s population projections indicate that the population will grow from 339,000 to 380,000 by 2036, compounding major housing and other pressures. These latest government figures translate into a requirement for new homes of 1876 per annum according to the GLA but 3,500 per annum according to the Government. This large discrepancy is not explained within the covering report or the draft plan itself raising concerns that the statistical basis for the Local Plan is questionable.

·         Point 9.3.7 of the draft plan states that there will be a Green Belt Boundary Review that will run in parallel with the local plan process. There is not a requirement to do this and the green belt has firm protections under the London Plan so again, why is this included.

·         With reference to 9.3.8, Crews Hill is located deep within the Green Belt yet the draft Local Plan states that there are strong arguments for housing growth in this area but fails to go into much detail. The document also fails to out forward why building on Crews Hill could be defined as coming under exceptional circumstances.

·         The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) says that altering green belt boundaries should only be done in exceptional circumstances. There are no exceptional circumstances in Enfield so why is this relaxation being proposed and consulted on.

·         The Leader of the Council has indicated that the Council wishes in future to allow tall residential buildings in town centres and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 865.

866.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING 23 OCTOBER 2018 pdf icon PDF 191 KB

To agree the minutes of the meeting 23 October 2018.

Minutes:

AGREED the minutes of the meeting held on 23 October 2018.

867.

DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS

To note the dates of future meetings as follows:

 

Provisional Call-Ins

·         Thursday 6 December 2018

·         Thursday 20 December 2018

·         Tuesday 15 January 2019

·         Thursday 7 February 2019

·         Tuesday 12 March 2019

·         Tuesday 26 March 2019

·         Thursday 11 April 2019

 

The Overview & Scrutiny Budget Meeting will be held on:

·         Thursday 31 January 2019

 

Please note, the business meetings of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee will

be held on:

·         Tuesday 12 February 2019

·         Wednesday 3 April 2019

 

Minutes:

Noted the dates as follows:

 

Provisional Call-Ins:

Thursday 6 December 2018

Thursday 20 December 2018

Tuesday 15 January 2019

Thursday 7 February 2019

Tuesday 12 March 2019

Tuesday 26 March 2019

Thursday 11 April 2019

 

The business meetings of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee:

Tuesday 12 February 2019

Wednesday 3 April 2019

 

The Overview & Scrutiny Budget Meeting: -Thursday 31 January 2019.