Agenda and minutes

Councillor Simon, Chair, welcomed all attendees and explained the order of the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Pearce and Savva.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on:

Tuesday 19 July 2016 and

Wednesday 27 July 2016.

AGREED the minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 19 July 2016 and 27 July 2016 as a correct record.

To receive the covering report of the Assistant Director, Planning, Highways and Transportation.

4.1       Applications dealt with under delegated powers. (A copy is available in the Members’ Library).

RECEIVED the report of the Assistant Director, Planning, Highways and Transportation (Report No.76).

RECOMMENDATION:  Approval subject to conditions

WARD:  Upper Edmonton

1.    The introduction by the Head of Development Management, Andy Higham, clarifying the proposals.

2.    The unanimous support of the committee for the officer’s recommendation.

AGREED that planning permission be approved subject to the conditions set out in the report.

RECOMMENDATION:  Approval subject to conditions

WARD:  Southgate Green

1.    The introduction by the Planning Decisions Manager, Sharon Davidson, clarifying the proposals.

2.    The unanimous support of the committee for the officer’s recommendation.

AGREED that planning permission be approved subject to the conditions set out in the report.

To receive the report of the Director of Regeneration and Environment providing an update on the monitoring of Section 106 Agreements (S106) and progress on Section 106 matters during the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2016.

(Report No.77)

RECEIVED the report of the Director of Regeneration and Environment providing an update on the monitoring of Section 106 Agreements (S106) and progress on S106 matters during the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016.

NOTED

1.     Apologies were received that no Planning Policy officers were in attendance (due to annual leave commitments), with the Chair’s agreement, to present the report. The report was presented by the Head of Development Management.

2.     Incorporated in the report was a recent update to national planning policy  via a written ministerial statement (WMS), by the government in November 2014. These recent changes would affect the Council’s approach to the collection of Section 106 monies in respect of affordable housing and education.

3.     Acknowledgement that in previous years there had been comments by members regarding the appended report format. The department now had a new IT package, which will enable the report format to be much more easily understandable and presentable.

4.     The report gives a brief overview of the Council’s position regarding the number of agreements currently in hand.

In summary:

·         March 2016 there were 275 live Section 106 agreements. With development commenced on 143 agreements (given permission) which has triggered payments which are now being used to support the necessary infrastructure and other associated benefits.

       In terms of finance:

·         There was £5.8M on account at the beginning of the 2015/16 financial year.

      Officers negotiated Section 106 agreements which identified a further £5.5M of contributions that could be used across the spectrum of affordable housing, education, transport, etc.

      Key receipts in this financial year is identified at para 3.4 (page 51) of the report, which shows the notable larger receipts received. During 2015/16 the Council had a Section 106 drawdown of approx. £3.2M for projects that the Council were committed and had identified. This left approx. £8M by the end of 2015/16 financial year. Of this, £1.6M has been committed for specific projects and £6.5M has been allocated to committed departmental specific projects.

5.     Table 2 at para 4.3 (page 52) of the report identifies where future funds have been secured through the planning process but not yet received. Planning permission has yet to be implemented.

Monies are usually generally payable upon commencement of the development. However, £4.8M has been secured for affordable housing and £2.8M secured for education.

The Section 106 process has been a key vehicle for the Council and has supported projects in these areas. However, the impact of contributions and the whole process has been seen as a dis-proportionate burden on developers, acting to slow down much needed housing.

      Consequently, the government introduced changes to the National Planning Policy guidance through a Ministerial Statement in November 2014. This sought to remove the ability from the local planning authority to collect tariff based contributions in respect of affordable housing and education, involving schemes of 10 units or less and under 1000sqm.

      This was quashed by the high court in July 2015 and as a result the local planning authority  ...  view the full minutes text for item 114.

NOTED

1.    The next meetings would be on: 

·         Tuesday 13 September 2016.

·         Tuesday 20 September 2016

2.    A Planning Panel meeting is being arranged for the Trent Park application. Venues for the Planning Panel meeting are currently being reviewed i.e. Gladys Child’s Theatre, Trent Park Golf Course, Highlands school, Ashmole School.

It will be a 5 member panel.

The preferred date is the 8 November 2016, this being one of the provisional planning committee calendar dates. However, availability is also being sought for week beginning 31^st October 2016.

3.    The Chair also indicated a need for site visits to the following sites:

·         Holbrook House

·         Westpole Avenue

4.    The Committee to also look at sites that have been built i.e. the Cat Hill site, for reflective purposes.