Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Hall, Leeds, LS1 1UR

Contact: Helen Gray (0113) 3788657  Email: helen.gray@leeds.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

57.

Appeals Against Refusal of Inspection of Documents

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2 of the Access to Information Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded)

 

(*In accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2, written notice of an appeal must be received by the Head of Governance Services at least 24 hours before the meeting)

Minutes:

There were no appeals against the refusal of inspection of documents.

 

58.

Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

1  To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.

 

2  To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in respect of the above information.

 

3  If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

 

  RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information, as follows:

Minutes:

The agenda contained no exempt information.

 

59.

Late Items

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

 

(The special circumstance shall be specified in the minutes).

Minutes:

No formal late items of business were added to the agenda, however the Panel received the following supplementary documents to be considered as part of the work programme update (minute 63 refers):

-  Housing Growth Programme

-  Local Development Scheme (Leeds Local Plan) March 2018 update

-  Consultation on Revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) & related planning documents

-  Briefing March 2018 – Draft Revisions to the NPPF

 

60.

Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct

Minutes:

No declarations were made.

 

61.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Coulson. Councillor R Grahame attended the meeting as his substitute.

 

62.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 75 KB

To agree the minutes of the meeting held 16th January 2018 as a correct record

 

(Copy attached)

Minutes:

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the Development Plan Panel meeting held on 16th January 2018 be approved.

 

63.

Matters Arising

Minutes:

Minute 55 Core Strategy Selective Review

-  Following approval of the documentation at the meeting held 16th January 2018, public consultation was currently underway and due to close on 23rd March 2018. The Panel received assurance that the Review process remained on course.

-  A comment reiterating the need for Policy H5 Affordable Housing to respond to locality need was noted, along with information on two sites which could be available for development in Burmantofts & Richmond Hill ward.

 

64.

Development Plan Panel Work Programme Update pdf icon PDF 34 KB

To consider the report of the Director of City Development presented as the basis for discussion to agree a forward programme of work for the Council’s Development Plan Panel. The report sets out revisions proposed to reflect the need to make adjustments to programme matters, milestones and targets. These take into account the rolling forward of the Local Development Scheme (the project plan for how the Local Plan is to be prepared), a review of public consultation arrangements and other matters, including working with other Council boards and panels.

 

(Report attached)

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Group Manager, Policy and Plans, introduced a report on the ongoing work programme for the Panel, emphasising the need for it to be responsive to changes in national guidance and/or legislation and setting it in context with the Local Development Scheme (the work programme for the Local Plan). 

 

A refreshed Local Development Scheme March 2018 was tabled at the meeting and the following matters were highlighted for Members:

 

National Planning Policy Framework – New guidance indicated that policies should be reviewed to assess whether they required updating at least once every five years; and then updated as necessary. Officers identified the Core Strategy; the Natural Resources & Waste Development Plan Document and the Statement of Community Involvement as issues for consideration during 2018.

 

(Councillor Walshaw joined the meeting at this point)

 

Neighbourhood Plans – In response to noting that there are now 8 “made” Neighbourhood Plans (NP’s) in Leeds, comments seeking to identify any gaps in uptake of NPS and noting that Guidance had changed since their launch, officers reported that communities remained committed but that NPs presented a technical and time consuming challenge, which required local community leadership. The NPPF ambition was to promote a ‘bottom-up’ approach to planning through encouraging NPs to respond to housing needs and delivery of housing growth. In Leeds, currently most NPs do not identify sites for development; choosing to tackle other local policy issues such as design, environmental and public realm issues.

 

The Chief Planning Officer gave a brief overview of the recent ministerial statement which sought to simplify the process and supported giving further weight to NPs at an earlier stage in the process than previously. During discussions, the following matters were considered:

·  The resources available to support communities/groups seeking to establish NPs for their localities.

·  Members identified possible barriers to the NP process for some communities, including the length of time from inception to ‘adoption’, the challenges of the process; and the skills and commitment required particularly if an NP covered a large geographical area.

·  The statutory requirement for the Authority to undertake the Site Allocation Plan process which NPs must be in line with.

·  The value of NPs to provide the fine detail to complement the over-arching Development Plan and assist in informing Plans Panels in their decision making.

 

(Councillor R Lewis joined the meeting at this point)

 

Referring to the list of NPs under preparation and established, discussion focussed on the inner areas of the city which had not yet engaged in the NP process to the same extent as the outer areas. There was some concern that those areas did not have the community capacity and resources to pursue NPs; and that those areas would not benefit from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) although a great deal of development had taken place. The Panel were reassured that non-parished areas remained under the purview of Community Committees and would receive 15% CIL to be administered similarly to Community Committee wellbeing funding, with assistance from the Department which would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

65.

Date and Time of Next Meeting

To note the date and time of the next meeting as Tuesday 17th April 2018 at 1.30pm

Minutes:

RESOLVED – To note the date and time of the next meeting as Tuesday 17th April 2018 at 1.30 pm