Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of City Development seeking the Area Committee’s views upon the Council’s Local Development Framework (Publication Draft), in line with the current public consultation exercise which runs from 28^th February to 12^th April 2012.

(Council Function)

The Director of City Development submitted a report making the Committee aware of the public consultation exercise which was currently ongoing in respect of the Council’s Core Strategy document. In addition, as part of that consultation process, the report sought comments from the Area Committee in respect of the soundness of that document.

Having received a brief introduction to the report, a question and answer session ensued. The key points raised were as follows:-

• Responding to Members’ enquiries, the Committee was provided with details regarding the extent of the consultation being conducted;
• The Committee noted that Elected Members of the Council and members of the public would have the opportunity to contribute towards the selective Green Belt review, which was to be undertaken in due course as part of the overarching process;
• Members received assurances regarding the protected status of Green Belt areas within Leeds, during the consultation stage of the Core Strategy;
• The Committee received an update regarding the current position of the Government’s new Planning Policy Framework which was scheduled to be unveiled and how such a Framework would supersede existing Planning Policy Guidance;
• Members requested access to the associated Site Allocations document when it became available;
• Members noted that one of the ‘Housing Market Characteristic Areas’ had been named Aireborough and received details regarding the boundaries which would form this area;
• Emphasis was placed upon the need for Leeds to have a Core Strategy in place, in order to ensure that as a planning authority, it could effectively defend any planning appeals it faced.

Following the question and answer session, the Committee raised several concerns and requested that such concerns were formally recorded and submitted as part of the associated consultation process:-

·  Concerns were raised regarding the overarching levels of housing requirement which had been identified as part of Spatial Policy 6, specifically when considering the current low levels of housing demand and also in respect of the ability to deliver such significant levels of housing development, based on the number of new houses which had been built in recent years;

·  The need to ensure that a more effective approach towards affordable housing was established as part of the Core Strategy, and the need to ensure that developers’ were required to make adequate contribution towards such provision;

·  The need for the Core Strategy to ensure that any new developments were made sustainable via the promotion of local employment opportunities, the establishment of effective transportation infrastructure and the development of any additional accommodation for education provision which was required as a result of such development. In addition, it was emphasised that the Core Strategy needed to ensure that developers were obliged to make adequate contribution towards such matters;

·  Members raised concerns regarding the accuracy of the timings within the ‘Accessibility Standards’ as detailed within appendix 2 of the Core Strategy document;

·  Representations were made regarding the fact that under the Core Strategy, Horsforth did not currently possess ‘village’ status, but rather formed part of the ‘Main Urban Area’.

In conclusion, the Committee agreed that, in considering whether the Core Strategy document was sound, Members’ comments and concerns, as detailed above, be formally recorded and submitted as part of the associated consultation process.

RESOLVED – That in considering whether the Core Strategy document is sound, the Committee’s comments and concerns, as detailed above, be formally recorded and submitted as part of the associated consultation process.