Issue - meetings

(a)  Housing Appeals – High Court Decision

To consider the report of the Director of City Development providing an update on the progress made in relation to a number of appeals against the Council’s refusal of planning permission for housing on Greenfield sites, with specific reference to the recent outcome of a High Court case regarding land at Greenlea, Yeadon. The report also seeks to agree the most appropriate way forward on this issue, and other pending cases. 

The appendix to this report is designated as exempt under Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(5).

(b)  Housing Appeals – Issues arising from the Proposed Abolition of the Regional Spatial Strategy and Regional Housing Budgets

To consider the report of the Director of City Development outlining a proposed approach towards those planning appeals which remain in the system, still to be determined, in light of the new coalition government’s proposals to abolish the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and its associated housing targets. 

(a)  Housing Appeals – High Court Decision

The Director of City Development submitted a report providing an update on the progress made in relation to a number of appeals against the Council’s refusal of planning permission for housing on Greenfield sites, with specific reference to the recent outcome of a High Court case regarding land at Greenlea, Yeadon.

Following consideration of the appendix to the report designated as exempt under Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(5) which was considered in private at the conclusion of the meeting it was

RESOLVED –

a)  That the decision not to challenge the Court’s judgement on Greenlea, Yeadon be endorsed.

b)   That the legal challenges on the cases at Pudsey Road, Swinnow; Milner Lane, Robin Hood; Selby Road, Garforth and Bagley Lane, Farsley be withdrawn.

c)   That this decision is exempt from the provisions of Call In because of the need to advise the Court of the Council’s stance on these matters at the earliest opportunity.

(b)  Housing Appeals – Issues arising from the Proposed Abolition of the Regional Spatial Strategy and Regional Housing Budgets

The Director of City Development submitted a report outlining a proposed approach towards those planning appeals which remain in the system, still to be determined, in light of the new coalition government’s proposals to abolish the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and its associated housing targets.

Copies of a letter from the Home Builders Federation were circulated in the meeting. The letter submitted for the Board’s consideration a counter position to the one contained in the submitted report and extended to some ten pages in length.  The Board were not able to give proper consideration to the proposals contained in the letter and agreed to therefore express a provisional view based on the submitted report pending the submission of a further report to the Board.

RESOLVED – That, in the absence of a Regional Spatial Strategy and in the context of the latest government advice, the Council’s provisional view on land supply and the 5-year requirement be based on the annual requirement of 2,260 p.a. net set out in the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy.